World: Africa Children high on sewage (Jenkem)

[Irish Zionist]

This is old news but new to me

At the Lusaka sewage ponds, two teenage boys plunge their hands into the dark brown sludge, gathering up fistfuls and stuffing it into small plastic bottles. They tap the bottles on the ground, taking care to leave enough room for methane to form at the top. A sour smell rises in the hot sun, but the boys seem oblivious to the stench and the foul nature of their task.


 
 
They are manufacturing "Jenkem", a disgusting, noxious mixture made from fermented sewage. It is cheap, potent and very popular among the thousands of street-children in Lusaka. When they cannot afford glue or are too scared to steal petrol, these youngsters turn to Jenkem as a way of getting high.

"It lasts about an hour", says one user, 16-year-old Luke Mpande, who prefers Jenkem to other substances.

"With glue, I just hear voices in my head. But with Jenkem, I see visions. I see my mother who is dead and I forget about the problems in my life."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/406067.stm

[Rubystars]

I'm not even sure if this story is true, but it is amusing.

[muman613]

I'm not even sure if this story is true, but it is amusing.

Yes, I have been looking for any evidence that Methane gas has any psychotropic qualities and it seems that there is not... I don't know what this story is saying but it seems that the basic premise is wrong, methane gas does not cause hallucinations.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Drugs/story?id=3834092&page=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenkem
Jenkem is an alleged hallucinogenic recreational drug composed of noxious gas formed from fermented sewage.[1] In the mid to late 1990s, several reports stated that Jenkem was being used by Zambian street children.[1][2] In November 2007, anecdotal American media reports gave the impression that Jenkem was a popular drug taking hold with American teenagers. Media reports were characterized by disbelief and distaste for the "grossness" of the phenomenon.[3] Since November 2007, no new reports have appeared to corroborate the early speculations.

Several sources allege that this sudden spur of reports in US popular media were based on a hoax (see section below). David Emery of About.com, popularly noted as an "urban legend guru"[3], concluded that the recent news media reports that Jenkem is gaining a foothold as a substance of abuse among American youth is doubtful and "based on faulty Internet research."[4]

The surfacing of the drug, or rumours of its existence, has caused at least one US municipality to amend its city ordinance regarding substances that cannot be legally inhaled to include organic substances.[5][6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane
Potential health effects

Methane is not toxic; however, it is highly flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air. Methane is violently reactive with oxidizers, halogens, and some halogen-containing compounds. Methane is also an asphyxiant and may displace oxygen in an enclosed space. Asphyxia may result if the oxygen concentration is reduced to below 19.5% by displacement[citation needed]. The concentrations at which flammable or explosive mixtures form are much lower than the concentration at which asphyxiation risk is significant. When structures are built on or near landfills, methane off-gas can penetrate the buildings' interiors and expose occupants to significant levels of methane. Some buildings have specially engineered recovery systems below their basements to actively capture such fugitive off-gas and vent it away from the building.[citation needed] An example of this type of system is in the Dakin Building, Brisbane, California.

[Raulmarrio2000]

I'm not even sure if this story is true, but it is amusing.

Amusing? I'd say that it's a sad story. A child addicted to "drugs" to forget his misery and his dead mother, and you find it amusing? Obviously he's not a child to you. It's an African "hateful animal".
One more user who priorizes hate towards others instead of loving your nation!

[arksis]

This is new to me too IZ, I have never heard of such a thing!

You know, I am SO SICK of people saying WE need to have more compassion for our nation etc! I'm sure Rubystars found AMUSING that someone would be sniffing POOP to get high, NOT the fact that they were trying to forget about their dead mother and troubles. My life wasn't all that great either, but you know what, you GET THE HELL OVER IT and move on and try to make a life for yourself. That's another thing wrong with this country is people BLAMING others for their pitiful lives.

There are people here giving money to the crooks of the American Red Cross and who is helping US?  Hard working people are losing or have lost their jobs and WE are getting NO help from other countries, and I'm sure we never will. I'm sorry, but I am sick to death of being called selfish if I don't give to certain charities. This is still a free country and I give to who I choose and will NEVER feel guilty about who I do NOT give to. I thank God I still have a job and a roof over my head, but am scared to death that this will not last long, as I'm sure many others are. This is only going to get worse, if this country stays on the course it is headed.

Sorry to rant, but I just wish people would wake the hell up sometimes!

[muman613]

When I was a kid all we used to do is get high sniffing farts...

 

PS: KIDS! Do not try this at home, or ask your parents for permission.

[Rubystars]

I'm not even sure if this story is true, but it is amusing.

Amusing? I'd say that it's a sad story. A child addicted to "drugs" to forget his misery and his dead mother, and you find it amusing? Obviously he's not a child to you. It's an African "hateful animal".
One more user who priorizes hate towards others instead of loving your nation!

It's an old story, and I don't think it's true anyway.
If there was a way to get high off of excrement, blacks would have found it though.

[Irish Zionist]

This is new to me too IZ, I have never heard of such a thing!

You know, I am SO SICK of people saying WE need to have more compassion for our nation etc! I'm sure Rubystars found AMUSING that someone would be sniffing POOP to get high, NOT the fact that they were trying to forget about their dead mother and troubles. My life wasn't all that great either, but you know what, you GET THE HELL OVER IT and move on and try to make a life for yourself. That's another thing wrong with this country is people BLAMING others for their pitiful lives.

There are people here giving money to the crooks of the American Red Cross and who is helping US?  Hard working people are losing or have lost their jobs and WE are getting NO help from other countries, and I'm sure we never will. I'm sorry, but I am sick to death of being called selfish if I don't give to certain charities. This is still a free country and I give to who I choose and will NEVER feel guilty about who I do NOT give to. I thank G-d I still have a job and a roof over my head, but am scared to death that this will not last long, as I'm sure many others are. This is only going to get worse, if this country stays on the course it is headed.

Sorry to rant, but I just wish people would wake the hell up sometimes!

Your so right. I'm so sick and tired of black charity ad's in Ireland and people in Ireland are loseing their homes and loads are out on the streets. But of course lets help Haiti instead. A load of bollox if ya ask me.

[Cato]

This is new to me too IZ, I have never heard of such a thing!

You know, I am SO SICK of people saying WE need to have more compassion for our nation etc! I'm sure Rubystars found AMUSING that someone would be sniffing POOP to get high, NOT the fact that they were trying to forget about their dead mother and troubles. My life wasn't all that great either, but you know what, you GET THE HELL OVER IT and move on and try to make a life for yourself. That's another thing wrong with this country is people BLAMING others for their pitiful lives.

There are people here giving money to the crooks of the American Red Cross and who is helping US?  Hard working people are losing or have lost their jobs and WE are getting NO help from other countries, and I'm sure we never will. I'm sorry, but I am sick to death of being called selfish if I don't give to certain charities. This is still a free country and I give to who I choose and will NEVER feel guilty about who I do NOT give to. I thank G-d I still have a job and a roof over my head, but am scared to death that this will not last long, as I'm sure many others are. This is only going to get worse, if this country stays on the course it is headed.

Sorry to rant, but I just wish people would wake the hell up sometimes!

Your so right. I'm so sick and tired of black charity ad's in Ireland and people in Ireland are loseing their homes and loads are out on the streets. But of course lets help Haiti instead. A load of bollox if ya ask me.

It is at least as bad in the UK. Tomorrow our school kids will all have to give money for Haiti (except for those whose drunken/drugged/lazy parents are already living off the rest of us). If I lose my job I will be waiting a long time for the Haitians to make a collection for me. And, by the way, the homeless Haitian children will now be sent everywhere so that we can all try to purge ourselves from the modern-day concept of "original sin", namely the crime of being born white. Sorry folks but I will not be praying to G-d to forgive me for my attitude.

[The One and Only Mo]

Where can I  ....er....Where can one  pick up this stuff?