​Spanish TV show apologises for quizzing contestants on the price of cociane

Producers of a Spanish quiz show have publicly apologised after contestants were asked how much a gram of cocaine is worth.

The popular quiz show titled Atrapame Se Podes (translating to Catch Me If You Can) aired recently with a panel of contestants answering questions to win a cash prize.

One of the questions that arose, however, asked: “What is the average street price of cocaine?” giving the options for answers as either €6 or €60.

After hesitating, two middle-aged women reluctantly chose the latter, scoring them the winning option and placing them one step closer to the prize money of €25,000.

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As the pair were pondering the question, TV show host Paco Lodeiro joked that the scriptwriters said they “had a policeman friend” who knew the answer.

Fans of the show, which is particularly popular in the northwest region of Galicia, were less happy about the question.

The state-run TV channel that runs Atrapame Se Podes has since apologised for the comment: “It wasn’t the intention of the programme to disparage the serious problem of drug addiction,” they said.

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The show’s producers have also responded to comments around the show, adding that they used “information from a health ministry report on drugs”, but admitted that the question should never have been asked.

"It should never have been raised in the way it appeared on screen," they said, adding: "it was transferred to the contestants with an inadequate formulation”.

Spain’s region of Galicia is infamous for its drug-smuggling coastline, sometimes referred to as the ‘Cocaine Coast’, where shipments are passed to and from South America. A Netflix show is currently being adapted from a novel written on the infamous coastline.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter