The Herald was informed about an alarming number of children using the popular but very dangerous and highly addictive drug, nyaope.
Also known as whoonga or wunga, nyaope is becoming one of South Africa’s most popular drugs, mostly because of its very affordable price and the heroin-like “high” users get.
It is a destructive street drug, unique to South Africa. Nyaope is a fine white powder that usually is combined with marijuana (dagga) and smoked.
It is not always clear what the ingredients of nyaope are, and may vary from place to place, but one thing is clear – nyaope is made of a lethal combination of substances, which can include heroin, detergent powder, rat poison and crushed anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). ARVs are used to treat patients with HIV.
Nyaope is relatively cheap – about R20 for one hit – and a person can become highly addicted after using the drug only once. Soon users will feel they need several hits to make it through the day.
Nyaope first appeared in the townships around Durban in 2010, but reportedly is moving to impoverished areas and informal settlements.
The drug is a serious threat to South Africa’s HIV-positive population. There have been reports of gangs robbing HIV/AIDS clinics in Soweto to obtain ARVs for making nyaope, as well as addicted users mugging ARV patients to obtain the drugs for themselves.
As with all street drugs, the best way to deal with nyaope is never, ever try it.
If you are addicted to nyaope, go to the nearest health clinic and find out how to enrol into a drug rehabilitation programme.
The effects of nyaope:
• Severe body aches, shivering, anxiety, insomnia, glazed eyes, hot and cold flushes
• The low-grade heroin used means one can get toxic side effects such as skin diseases, frequent infections and lowered immunity
• Because nyaope is smoked with dagga, the user becomes addicted to dagga as well. These drugs have side effects such as hallucinations, paranoia, flashbacks, eating habits descend/change, weight loss, restlessness, poor hygiene
• School work suffers, need for extra money increases, spending less time at home. It becomes a lullaby and sleeping pill, users forsake important things to maintain a relationship with it, change friends, party regularly
Captain Appel Ernst from the Randfontein Police Station is yet to comment of the impact of nyaope in Randfontein.
If you are a nyaope drug user, seek help at your nearest drug rehabilitation centre or phone the toll free help line: 0800 121314.
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Also read:
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Drugs – Weapons of mass destruction
Fighting drugs with signatures
Police winning the war on drugs?
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