Spencer Pratt, a former reality television personality and independent candidate in Los Angeles' 2024 mayoral race, made headlines during his first debate appearance by warning of a fictional drug he called "super meth." Addressing opponents Mayor Karen Bass and city councilmember Nithya Raman, Pratt claimed that unhoused individuals struggling with addiction were under the influence of this substance, arguing that offering treatment or shelter would be ineffective and dangerous. "I will go below the Harbor Freeway tomorrow with her, and we can find some of the people she's gonna offer treatment for. She's gonna get stabbed in the neck," Pratt said. He has repeated the term frequently on the campaign trail, using it to paint Los Angeles as overrun by violent, drug-affected individuals. Despite the alarming rhetoric, "super meth" does not exist as a distinct drug. Claire Zagorski, a paramedic, harm reductionist, and PhD candidate at the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, confirmed that no such substance has emerged in scientific or medical circles. The term may stem from confusion between two methods of producing methamphetamine: one using phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) and the other using pseudoephedrine. P2P meth, which has been around since the 1970s, resurged after restrictions on pseudoephedrine sales in 2006. Zagorski clarified that both forms are chemically the same end product and show no significant difference in neurotoxicity. The idea of a more dangerous "new meth" gained traction in part through journalist Sam Quinones' 2021 book The Least of Us and a related article in The Atlantic, though Quinones later acknowledged in a Los Angeles Times op-ed that "super meth isn't exactly real." What has changed, Zagorski noted, is the purity and lower price of methamphetamine due to a refining technique developed in Europe in 2020 and adopted by producers in Mexico. Pratt's campaign did not respond to requests for clarification on his use of the term.
Spencer Pratt is running a serious mayoral campaign while basing a core issue on a drug that does not exist. His repeated use of "super meth" as a threat leverages fear without factual foundation, undermining public understanding of real drug issues. No Nigerian or African tech or policy angle emerges from this episode. The story serves as a caution about how misinformation can shape political discourse even in major cities.
💡 NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
