The drug plague destroying families across South Africa
Mandies, buttons, white pipe - call it what you will, but SA is the largest abuser of mandrax in the world...
Mandrax (pronounced ‘mandrakes’ and often misspelled as such) is the name of a particular quaalude – or downer’ – tablet that was first manufactured in Britain during the late 60’s and early 70’s.
Its active ingredient is methaqualone, which is chemically and functionally related to barbiturates.
Street names for Mandrakes include ‘mandies’,” ‘buttons’, ‘MX’, and ‘white pipe’.
Drugaware.co.za says South Africa is the largest abuser of Mandrax in the world, and that mandrax used in combination with dagga is still the drug of preference in the largest parts of South Africa.
Mandrax is mainly sold in the form of a tablet and is a highly addictive synthetic drug that is compiled by means of the mixing of chemicals in a chemical process to produce a tablet.
In the sixties and early seventies these tablets were readily prescribed as sleeping tablets, high blood pressure medication and anti-anxiety pills.
The mandrax tablet is usually crushed and mixed with Dagga and is then smoked in a pipe or ‘bottle neck’ (also known as a ‘white pipe’).
Side effects
• emotional instability and mood swings
• depression
• drastic weight loss
• headaches
• stomach cramps
• insomnia
• epilepsy
• aggression
• toxic psychosis
• loss of muscle control which causes users to fall often
Signs of mandrax use
• yellow stained hands
• bloodshot eyes
• gaunt appearance
• rotten teeth
• drowsiness
• unnatural sleeping patterns
• loss of appetite
• increased saliva secretion
• swollen abdomen
Physical evidence
• broken bottles and bottle necks
• homemade filters – known as a ‘diamond’
• brown stained tissues and containers (used to spit into)
• Lotto and Tab tickets in which tablets are crushed
Getting help
If you believe that a loved one is battling addiction, click here for contact information of SANCA branches that offer support: https://www.sancanational.info/contact SANCA Zululand 12 Jenner Road, Empangeni Telephone 035 772 3290/3201
Email shireen.sanca@gmail.com
Content sources – drugsaware.co.za / urbandictionary.com / sancanational.info
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp – 072 069 4169
Instagram – zululand_observer
