South African street drug "whoonga" contains HIV medication
The drug whoonga is said to be so addictive that users are hooked within days of starting to smoke it.
Whoonga is a mixture of rat poison, detergent and marijuana and the key ingredient - crushed antiretroviral (ARV) medication prescribed to people with HIV - which is smoked in a joint to get high.
Demand for the substance has prompted a massive wave of thefts of Aids drugs across the country.
The street-value of the powder is ca 30 rands (about £3) per packet.
Not only is the drug extremely toxic and has lead to the death of scores of addicts across South Africa during the past year, it is also leading to the death of innocent HIV patients.
Because the ARV drugs are the essential to the concoction scores of Aids patients are being robbed of their antiretroviral drugs every week - some even being killed for their lifesaving ARV drugs.
Sithenjwa Nyawose, an ANC councillor in Durban, said: "The patients are being mugged for their drugs. They are violently attacked in the streets as they leave the clinics."
In Johannesburg, a police officer was implicated this month in a cartel that has targeted health clinics to steal ARVs.
Doctors say the prescription medication does not contain anything that could deliver a "high", even when smoked.
The country's Treatment Action Campaign, an Aids lobbying group, has described the belief that the drugs have recreational value as a "myth".
-
- groups:
- News and Politics
-
- tags:
- Drugs, AIDS, HIV, South Africa, 2 more
-
-
linuxsapien
-
Desperate times in some places, its a shame what people will do for a little height in their lives... Guess they are too stupid to find a hobby.
- 1 year ago
-
linuxsapien
-
-
Richard_Venters
-
Great report on a severe problem.
- 1 year ago
-
Richard_Venters
-
-
Divide_Conquer
-
One mans Cure is another mans poison
- 1 year ago
-
Divide_Conquer
