HIV drug used by drug abusers in a deadly concoction

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJan 27 2011

In a sad and rather ironic situation in South Africa, where many are fighting a battle against HIV/AIDS with shortage of Anti-retrovital drugs, there is a new drug craze. South Africa has the world’s largest population of HIV infected citizens - nearly 6 million.

The street drug called “whoonga” is a cocktail that includes the anti-retroviral (ARV) medication prescribed to people with HIV. The demand for the substance has prompted a wave of thefts of AIDS drugs across the country. In the township of Umlazi, near Durban, officials say dozens of patients are being robbed of their anti-retroviral drugs every week.

The substance is taken after crushing the ARVs that are then smoked with a mixture of rat poison, detergent and marijuana to get high. The powder is said to be so addictive that users are hooked within days. In the back streets of Durban, whoonga dealers tout the powder for $5 per packet. This highly toxic concoction has killed scores of addicts across South Africa over the past year.

But South Africa’s Treatment Action Campaign, an AIDS lobbying group believes this to be a “myth”. Group spokeswoman Caroline Nenguke said, “We are not even convinced that whoonga contains ARVs. The dealers just say it does.”