Beyond the High: Methamphetamine Use, Risk Landscape, Health Consequences and Urgent Policy Directions from a Mixed-Methods Situational Analysis in Sudan

Background: Methamphetamine use is rising globally, with well‑documented harms in North America and East Asia. Sudan remains under‑studied despite conditions conducive to substance abuse created by political and economic crises. Methods: We conducted a convergent parallel mixed‑methods situational analysis, integrating facility admissions data in 2023 from Khartoum, Port Sudan and Kassala with expert Delphi consensus and qualitative insights. Results: Admissions rose sharply among youth aged 13–35. Risk factors included socioeconomic hardship, trauma, peer pressure, stigma and porous borders. Health outcomes encompassed severe dental decay, psychosis and social destabilisation. Conclusions: Sudan urgently requires a national registry, SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) training, scaled rehabilitation services and legislative reform. A coordinated public health strategy must guide Sudan’s response together with a national taskforce for safeguarding Sudanese against this rising stimulant threat.