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The exact recipe differs, with some people preferring to add rat poison to their mix while others believe that powered soap gives a better kick.
Either way, it is clear that a new illegal drug called "whoonga" is catching on in South Africa's townships, and its highly addictive nature will likely mean trouble for police and authorities going forward.
The drug mixture is blended with marijuana and smoked. Smoking a hit of whoonga costs about 20 rand or $3 U.S., but like crack cocaine, users need daily doses of the drug to stay high.
One of the most dangerous aspects of the drug is that one of its ingredients comes from anti-retroviral drugs, such as Stocrin, for HIV-positive people. There is no evidence that any ingredient in Stocrin enhances a marijuana high.
Reports of robbers stealing anti-retroviral drugs from poor people who can least afford to lose them are increasing. Patients now visit their clinics in groups to provide protection from the thieves.
More than 6-million South Africans are infected with HIV in a nation of 50-million people.
Aside from threatening the health of HIV-infected patients, smoking whoonga itself presents serious health risks for users, including internal bleeding and stomach ulcers.
Users report that physical dependency on the drug hits almost immediately as cramps and joint pain occur once the users don't have the drug in their system.
Whoonga Free, a two-year-old community project for recovering users, opened in a Durban township and is seeking contributions to help users kick the habit.
These days, it seems the more outrageous and dangerous a trend is, the more popularity it attains so don't be surprised if whoonga becomes the nex international drug hit.
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