Cape Town - No drugs? No problem. Zimbabwean youths are getting high on sanitary pads and nappies due to the rising living costs.
Al Jazeera reported that young people in the country are adding water to the white residue found in used nappies and boiling it.
According to drug users, sodium polyacrylate or waterlock is found in new and used nappies, as well as stain removers, bleach products and some detergents.
The substance is the absorbent for blood on sanitary pads and urine on nappies and dissolves once boiled.
Experts say the prevalent drug abuse and innovative new ways of consuming drugs highlight a lack of social nets as Zimbabwe’s economy continues to tank, wrote the Doha-based news broadcaster.
More than 25 000 students graduate from Zimbabwe’s higher institutions annually, but there are no jobs and unemployment has continued to soar, according to Switch Nigeria.com.
Experts say all of this has led the youth to find coping mechanisms – including drugs.
Eva Chandawengerwa, a Harare sociology lecturer at Midlands State University, stated: “As a lecturer, I have seen students coming to lectures high and some of them admit that they are abusing it because of low morale.”
IOL