Brazen dealers cashing in on new ‘bluey’ drug craze as randy teens snap up £45 hit for ‘all-night sex parties’
GEARING himself up for a night on the pull, Kane downs beer, vodka mixers and Lucozade before practising the body-popping dance moves he hopes will impress the ladies.
But, unlike many men his age, the car parts manufacturer, 27, has an additional step to his pre-partying ritual – popping an oval-shaped, yellowy-orange pill known as Cialis.
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The medication, used to treat erectile dysfunction, can last 36 hours – unlike Viagra, which typically takes an hour to kick in and wears off after four hours.
Kane, from Leeds, is among a growing number of young men seeking out ‘sex tablets’ to overcome performance anxiety and make them “like Superman in bed”.
He features in the first episode of the returning BBC Three series Drugs Map Of Britain alongside a drug dealer who claims that sex tablets are his biggest seller and people are splurging on ‘blueys’ – a mix of cocaine and Viagra – to fuel “all-night sex parties”.
Kane, who first used Viagra at 16, tells the documentary: “I’m never embarrassed by it, it doesn’t bother me that I have to take something.
“I am who I am and that’s how it is. The fact that I can take something like that is good, I mean why not?
“But I’m 27 now and I’m wondering if I’m still going to be taking it when I’m 40, 50? I probably will be and probably even more because I imagine, as time goes on… I’d probably need it more.”
‘Biggest sellers’
According to the NHS, erectile dysfunction is “very common” in men over 40 – but now it seems the issue is becoming a concern for younger people too.
Around 40 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds said they or their partner had difficulty getting or maintaining an erection in a poll carried out by Pharmacy Direct GB.
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Leeds, in West Yorkshire, was found to have the highest number of problems and when lockdown restrictions loosened in 2020, Viagra sales rose there more than in any other UK city.
An unnamed drug dealer, who works in the area, explains there is a “massive demand these days” for ‘sex tablets’ and younger people are his biggest customers.
“Ecstasy, ketamine, cocaine, the biggest is the sex tablets,” he explains. “It’s not just old people as well.
“A lot of young people are having it, literally from 18, under 20s, over 21s, they’re all on it.
“I say to a lot of young people, ‘What are you taking these for?’ You shouldn’t need this now. You’ll be in you’re prime, you shouldn’t need it.’
“Most of it is just people wanting it just to be a good shag in bed. I think every girl must think every lad they go with is like Superman in bed but it’s all down to the tablet.”
While Viagra and other brands have been available to buy in pharmacies without a prescription since 2018, many favour going to backstreet dealers instead.
They sniff it with the cocaine and they’re up all night. Sex parties and stuff like that
Drug dealer
The drug dealer says sales of Tadalafil – also known as Cialis – which Kane uses, are among his biggest sellers due to users experiencing fewer side effects like heartburn, headache and “an uncontrollable hard-on” for several hours.
He explains: “These ones you would call ‘the weekends’ … as soon as a girl brushes past you or gives you a wink… it’s game on.”
The dealer also peddles cheap versions of Viagra for “massive, big profits” – he admits buying a box for £5 and flogging them for £15 a strip.
‘All-night sex parties’
Among the newest trends he reveals is ‘Blueys’, which are a mix of cocaine and Viagra named after their bluish tint.
“They sniff it with the cocaine and they’re up all night. Sex parties and stuff like that,” he says.
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“One tablet is split into four bags and that will go for £45 instead of £30, they’re still getting the Charlie, it’s just with an added extra bump.”
The dealer believes fear of judgement is preventing men from going into pharmacies to buy tablets.
Pressure to perform
Kane is among those shunning official channels to obtain ‘sex pills’ and believes partying too much could be the reason he needs to use them.
He explains: “I took Viagra when I was around 16, I don’t think it did anything. From then on, I left school, did a lot of drugs, a lot of partying and a lot of meeting lasses.
“Because I’m taking so many drugs and having so much to drink and all of that, I’m needing this Viagra.
“I think that’s because I took so much back then and it’s been ingrained in me that I need it before doing anything.”
5 silent killers linked to erectile dysfunction
AROUND one in 40 men experience erectile dysfunction – but the condition remains a taboo subject that is rarely spoken about.
However, according to TV medic and GP Dr Hilary Jones, it may be important to visit your doctor as struggling to get hard may be a sign of a more serious problem.
Here we reveal five health issues erectile dysfunction may be alterting you to.
Poor cardiovascular health – High blood pressure or heart disease can narrow the blood vessels making it harder to get an erection. Research conducted by Eroxon found 30 per cent of those with high blood pressure also have erectile dysfunction
Diabetes – Not being able to sustain an erection may be a side effect of diabetes. Eroxon’s study found 22 per cent of erectile dysfunction sufferers also had diabetes
Mental health struggles – Dr Hilary Jones said erectile dysfunction for younger men is “often rooted in psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, and sexual inhibitions”.
Obesity – Four out of five men with erectile dysfunction are overweight or obese. Dr Hilary explained that having a body mass index (BMI) over 30 “more than triples the risk”.
Testosterone deficiency – Around eight per cent opf 50 to 79 year olds exhibit lower levels of testosterone, which can also affect their erectile function. Symptoms can include tiredness, poor concentration and depression.
Kane, who typically takes Talafadil the day before a night out or while he is partying, concedes the pressure to perform motivated his decision to turn to drugs.
“I think a good quality that attracts someone to someone else is having that good sex, so I want her to see me at my best and I’m doing my best,” he says.
“If I have a Viagra, it’s hard and I have to know that’s what’s going to happen before I have it because otherwise I’m just going to be sat there with a massive hard-on and my heart beating out of my chest.”
But even when using Talafadil, which Kane says works for 36 hours, he has also suffered some embarrassing moments.
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“I had one a few days ago and I was at work,” he says through laughter. “I was working away with a massive hard-on so sometimes it pops out there and then.”
Eventually, Kane hopes to wean himself off using ‘sex tablets’ and knows that getting healthier will help prevent performance issues.
He explains: “I’m gradually coming out of… that mindset, where I’m dependent on it.
“It was an issue [before] because I had so many drugs and I was that wrecked every day. All of the times that I had to take it was because it wouldn’t work otherwise.
“But I think now I’ve grown out of it and I’m a lot healthier and I don’t need it as much. It’s probably just a mental thing.”
‘Floppy’ hell
Bartender and musician George, 24, has used Viagra once a week for the past five months and finds it “mildly embarrassing”.
He was 15 years old when he first struggled to get an erection and says merciless mockery from friends made the issue worse as he felt “emasculated”.
“I told some of my mates about it in confidence and then next thing I know everyone’s calling me floppy,” George says.
“When you’re younger you don’t want the rumour to be going around that you can’t get it up. When it happens over and over again, it gets a bit crap… it’s hard to get it out of your mind.”
In the documentary, George visited psychosexual and trauma psychotherapist Jodie Slee, who believed his sexual issues were due to anxiety and difficulty trusting partners.
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She said his parents’ separation, when he was around 11 or 12, could have contributed to his struggles too.
“Sex is the most vulnerable thing you can do really within a relationship,” Jodie explains.
“If you don’t feel safe being vulnerable generally in relationships, it’s difficult to feel safe being vulnerable sexually.”
There are many reasons why some men feel anxiety before getting frisky – and for some, it stems from deluded beliefs about sex based on X-rated videos online.
There is an expectation and it’s kind of messed me up a little bit so I’m reliant on all of this
Porn star Liam
A BBC Three commissioned poll found 55 per cent of 18 to 25 year olds said porn was their main source of sex education. However, behind the scenes of these movies, not all is as it seems.
During a visit to a London porn set, director Mark admits they have “loads of Viagra” on hand at all times and they consider it “more like a tool” to help actors.
“It eases the fear, Viagra just helps to take away that part of the stress,” producer Jamie adds.
All of the actors on set admitted to having used Viagra to help them in scenes – but for one star, the usage comes with an unwanted consequence.
Liam says: “There is an expectation and it’s kind of messed me up a little bit so I’m reliant on all of this.”
Another performer says using Viagra is “like putting make-up on in the morning” because it makes him “feel slightly safer”.
He adds: “I’m not sure if porn really gives a realistic view of erections – there’s a lot of pressure to perform, nerves and cameras.”
‘Masking the problem’
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Erectile dysfunction can be caused by health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes and hormonal problems, but also by anxiety.
Counsellor Jodie lists sexual performance anxiety as one of the main causes of younger men’s struggles to get frisky.
She says: “I think across the board psychosexual therapists are seeing younger men – 18, 19, 20-year-old men – where in previous years, we might not have been.
“Most are relying on Viagra or Cialis. I don’t think they become physically reliant but I’ve seen they become psychologically reliant.
Viagra has been transformative in the way that we treat problems with erections but in some ways, you’re masking the original problem
Counsellor Jodie Slee
“It will solve the problem, so they then think ‘Oh, I can’t perform without it’. They are expected to be brilliant at sex and their idea of what it takes to be brilliant at sex is not accurate or helpful.”
While Jodie credits Viagra with helping countless people across the country, she believes those using it should consult medical professionals.
She says: “Viagra has been transformative in the way that we treat problems with erections but in some ways, you’re masking the original problem.
“It actually feeds into the anxiety, rather than solving the anxiety, because people aren’t really going for advice.
“They are just filling out a form online or buying it over the counter, so they are not knowing there are other ways to medically treat the issue.”
The first two episodes of Drugs Map of Britain air from 9pm tonight on BBC Three. You can also watch the series now on BBC iPlayer.