Zimbabwean teenagers are 'high on diapers and pads.'
On sanitary pads and diapers, the chemical absorbs menstrual blood and pee. Once boiling, it dissolves.
To get high for a lesser price, some young people in Zimbabwe are consuming chemicals found in diapers and sanitary pads.
They informed Al Jazeera that they extract the white substance – sodium polyacrylate, a chemical – from these products and boil it.
"After boiling, it turns into a greyish material, which we drink," a 19-year-old youth explained to Al Jazeera.
On sanitary pads and diapers, the chemical absorbs menstrual blood and pee. Once boiling, it dissolves.
In Zimbabwe, a lack of social safety nets is being blamed for drug abuse and the development of alternate methods by the youth to get high.