HIV 'Whoonga' Drug Craze Grips South Africa

There is a new drug sweeping the streets of South Africa. The drug is referred to as "whoonga" and contains the antiretroviral medication that patients with HIV are prescribed. This drug that is intended to treat AIDS victims has been increasingly misused among whoonga addicts. Whoonga addicts combine the antiretroviral medication with rat poison, detergent and marijuana to get high. This combination of substances produces a highly addictive powder that addicts are dying to get their hands on. One whoonga addict describes his addiction by saying that he suffers pain and cannot sleep if he does not use the drug. Another addict says that she sells her body to have access to the drug and although this highly toxic drug has been responsible for large numbers of addicts deaths, whoonga abusers are still going to great lengths to get their hands on this precious substance. Whoonga drug dealers are robbing HIV patients of their medication on a daily basis. Patients are being attacked as they leave HIV clinics and are stripped of their prescription medication.

Doctors and Treatment Action Campaign spokespeople claim that the antiretroviral medication is not responsible for the high these addicts are experiencing and the abuse of the drug is all a myth. Spokeswoman for the Treatment Action Campaign does admit that South Africa is experiencing an illegal trade issue that is threatening the treatment of AIDS patients. I believe that even though doctors claim that the drug contains no substance that could produce a high, they should still accept the fact that this drug is becoming responsible for illegal trade and is endangering the lives of patients and drug abusers. Patients prescribed the drug and the antiretroviral drug itself should be protected more. More legal action should be taken against antiretroviral abusers and there should be more awareness on this issue. HIV patients cannot afford to have the drugs keeping them alive taken from them and Whoonga addicts cannot afford to keep using a highly toxic drug to acquire a high.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Article/201009115912665