Young people have always experimented with drugs. But publicity changes everything. Before, they would do drugs secretly. Today they include cameras - because of clicks on TikTok
Their pupils are dilated, the drug works, but so does the camera. They are mostly alone in the frame. At TikTok more and more young people are showing their states under the influence narcotics. The videos reach millions of viewers – often under a single hashtag: #Pingtok.
What used to happen in secret is now recorded, aestheticized and shared publicly - with life-threatening consequences, writes DW.
"Since I started raising awareness about addiction on TikTok, I've been getting a lot of messages. And it's really scary because they're often from minors," influencer Sara (26) told DW.
She herself became addicted to drugs at the age of 15. Today, she uses TikTok to educate others about addiction and overcoming it. Many of her followers, who came into contact with drugs through TikTok, still are younger.
"They have no one to talk to about it – and some of them write really intense things to me about their experiences and traumas," Sarah says.
TikTok shows how easy it is for young people to come into contact with drug-related content.
A quick search of the hashtag #Pingtok is all it takes – and videos of teenagers on drugs pop up one after the other. The longer you scroll, the more snippets the algorithm displays.
When asked by DW why TikTok isn't taking stronger measures against the spread of such content, a TikTok spokesperson said:
"The safety and well-being of our community is our priority. We prohibit the display, advertising or sale of drugs or other controlled substances and remove them from the platform - more than 99 percent of content that violates these rules is removed before it is reported," he claimed.
But Pingtok shows how easy it is to get around those rules. Users speak in code. They use emoticons, sounds and new expressions to avoid words that the algorithm knows and removes. Instead of showing visible drug use, for example, they only show their dilated pupils.
Hence the term Pingtok. "Ping" is slang for taking the drug MDMA. This so-called algorithmic language, also known as "algospeech", makes it difficult to clearly recognize content - and quickly remove it.
Even when terms are blocked, users are quick to adapt: the hashtag #Pingtok is now blocked by TikTok. Variations like #Pingtokk or #Pintok are now circulating.
At the same time, TikTok is becoming an informal market. "You don't even have to leave the house anymore. You can get everything you want – straight to your room," he says influenza Sara.
A look at the comment sections below the video shows what he means.
There are queries like "Who sells?" or "I need something in Berlin", which elicit direct responses from sellers.
Traders signal their readiness to sell with symbols like charging plugs, then invite users to chat groups on the Telegram app.
Young people have always experimented with drugs. But publicity changes everything, says Sarah. Earlier, he says, they would draw the curtains and secretly use drugs with others. Today, they turn on cameras and take drugs themselves - because of clicks on TikTok.
According to the data German According to the police, drug-related deaths have almost doubled in the last ten years. Among people under 30, the number of deaths increased by 14 percent in 2024.
Studies from SAD also show that more than two-thirds of fatal overdoses occur at home – often because there is no one to intervene.
A direct link to TikTok trends has not been proven. However, experts warn that isolation and exposure to drug-related content on social media can make drug use more dangerous.
Internationally, political pressure on social media is growing. Some governments want to better protect young people from harmful content.
In December, Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media for under-16s.
Spain is the first country in the European Union to announce that it will introduce the same measure. The UK, Denmark and most recently France are also planning similar restrictions.
The EU is currently examining whether platforms are adequately fulfilling their obligations regarding the protection of minors and is considering access restrictions. But are bans really the solution?
"There is a side that is often overlooked in the discussion about drug use and social networks," researcher Leyla Bouzuba tells DW. "Namely, all the people who use these platforms to find support - and that has nothing to do with drug glorification."
Bouzuba and her team analyzed hundreds of TikTok videos on the topic of drug use. They say that more than half of the content deals with prevention, recovery, or seeking help.
A blanket removal of all content or a ban on the platform could be dangerous for these target groups, according to Bouzuba. "We don't want to cut off this lifeline for people, while at the same time moderating content extremely strictly."
That's Sarah's approach too. Today, she does not use TikTok to glorify drugs, but to warn about the consequences of addiction.
"Drugs commissioners and social workers should be prepared for the fact that most things happen online these days," says Sarah. "It's good to go out on the streets or in schools. But they have to monitor the online sphere as well - especially because many of the users there are minors."
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