Something is happening in the Danish drug market these days.
As drugs have become accessible with just a few clicks and a Snapchat profile, sellers have expanded their product range – including prescription medications.
Recently, one particular drug has gained popularity among young people. Lyrica, whose active ingredient pregabalin is originally a medication for epilepsy and anxiety.
But now, the drug, found in small capsules with red caps, is also available on the black market for 200 kroner per sheet and among young people far from hospital corridors and diagnoses.
This is observed by Henrik Vigh, professor and head of the Center for Global Criminology at the University of Copenhagen. He has researched young people’s use of drugs for many years, including through interviews and fieldwork:
»Something has really changed recently. It’s something doctors and addiction specialists are talking about«, he says about young people’s use of Lyrica.
Along Denmark’s borders, Lyricas increasing popularity has also been noticeable in recent years. Documents obtained by Politiken from the Danish Customs Agency shows that the number of seized pregabalin units increased from 150 in 2023 to 134,303 the following year. However, it fell significantly again in 2025.
At U-turn, a treatment program for young people with drug problems, they recognize the picture that Lyrica and other forms of pregabalin have become widespread among young people:
»Lyrica is something we often see here. We’ve seen it sporadically for several years, but right now it’s very prominent in the market«, says Kristian Holte Kofod, the professional leader of U-turn.
It makes sense that young people with Lyrica addiction find their way to U-turn, he explains.
The drug can be compared in some ways to well-known substances like opioids and benzodiazepines:
»With Lyrica, you develop an addiction similar to that of benzodiazepines, and it’s one of the hardest to break free from«.
And if you take a trip to the black market, the picture is the same. A Snapchat profile advertising the sale of ’lyr’ briefly tells Politiken about Lyricas sales potential:
»It kicks ass«.
Doubling mortality
There are several explanations for Lyricas entry into the Danish drug scene. One of them, according to Henrik Vigh, is the high pregabalin can provide.
Through his research, he has talked to Lyrica users who describe a high similar to that of opioids: smoothing, soft, and anxiety-relieving.
Another explanation is not about a good high but about life and death.
Opioids have become significantly more expensive to buy on the black market in recent years. But if you combine opioids with a group of drugs called gabapentinoids, the effect of opioids is significantly enhanced. Pregabalin is one of the drugs under the gabapentinoid umbrella.
This is explained by Eske Kvanner Aasvang, clinical professor of anesthesiology at Rigshospitalet, who also points to the danger of such a cocktail, which is becoming increasingly popular:
»Large American studies show that if people take opioids together with gabapentinoids, mortality is doubled«.
This is because pregabalin – in addition to enhancing the opioid high – together with the opioid reduces respiratory capacity to a degree that can be fatal, explains Eske Kvanner Aasvang.
He further emphasizes that pregabalin is not life-threatening in itself, but Danish hospitals have stopped prescribing pregabalin as a standard medication due to its side effects.
»Everyone takes Lyrica«
It doesn’t take more than a trip to Sweden to find a country where pregabalin has been a staple of the drug market for many years.
Linda Nilsson from the Swedish police’s national operational department (Noa) states in a written response that the police have »seen an increase in pregabalin on the illegal drug market. It has become part of the normal picture throughout Sweden, meaning it is available on the illegal market, both physically and online«.
Or as Oliver, a young Swedish drug dealer, told Politiken last year:
»Everyone takes Lyrica. They take it in the bathroom«.
This led Swedish authorities to classify the drug as narcotics in 2018. According to the Swedish Medical Products Agency, this was due to »alarming reports of serious side effects and withdrawal symptoms from Lyrica« as well as the increasing abuse of pregabalin for intoxicating purposes and the thriving illegal market.
Looking at Swedish police seizures of the drug, the narcotics classification has made an impact. In 2019, 28,361 tablets were seized, while the number so far in 2025 is over 1.2 million.
The statistics reflect, writes Linda Nilsson, that the authorities have gained more tools to intervene with the narcotics classification.
Being caught for pregabalin-related crimes in Sweden has severe legal consequences.
A Swedish court case from 2019 bears witness to this. Four men received long prison sentences for smuggling and reselling pregabalin after a judge in Malmö ruled that illegal dealings with the drug should be punished at the same rates as cannabis, benzodiazepines, and the opioid tramadol.
This stands in stark contrast to pregabalin’s status in Denmark.
Here, pregabalin is not covered by the law on euphoric substances. Possession and sale of Lyrica and other forms of pregabalin in Denmark are instead punished under the Danish Medicines Act.
This means that the aforementioned seller, whose ’lyr’ business »kicks ass«, can expect a milder punishment for selling pregabalin in Denmark compared to Sweden.
Caught off guard by dangerous drugs
According to researcher Henrik Vigh, it is typical that Denmark lags behind Sweden when it comes to drugs – and handling them.
»It’s a bit odd that what happens in Sweden, where you think »that’s a bit worrying«, ends up coming to Denmark a bit later«, he says, expressing concern over Lyricas entry into Denmark:
»We should be concerned. The authorities’ work on these issues is often reactive. They respond when the problem has occurred and the symptom has become an issue. We need to be faster in Denmark. We need to have our finger on the pulse and be able to act proactively«, he says.
Henrik Vigh is worried that the authorities will be caught off guard by Lyrica in the same way they were with opioids:
»It was the same with opioids. We saw people having problems with opioids in Sweden before it came to Denmark«, says Henrik Vigh, summarizing:
»Everyone we talk to in our network agrees that something is happening with Lyrica right now. People need to step up, and the sooner, the better«.
If pregabalin is to be included in the regulation of euphoric substances, it is the Danish Health Authority that must recommend it to the Ministry of the Interior and Health.
In a written response, the authority states:
»The Danish Health Authority is aware that pregabalin may have abuse potential, and there are indications that the drug may be used inappropriately. The Danish Health Authority is therefore in dialogue with, among others, the Danish Medicines Agency to investigate whether there is a basis for considering regulation under the regulation of euphoric substances«.
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