Nyaope is now officially an illegal drug
Nyaope dealers face 25 years jail sentence.
eMBALENHLE – Residents said they are being held hostage by nyaope.
This drug comprises doses of rat poison, heroin, dagga, antiretroviral and household bleach.
Residents reported that children as young as 10 are addicted to nyaope.
Reports of desperate users who do anything to be able to pay up to R300 a day to get their hands on the drug, have also surfaced.
A mother of an addict said: “My son will steal anything made from steel or clothes hanging on the washing line.
“He sells anything worth R100 for R5 to buy nyaope.”
Nyaope was classified an illegal drug early this year.
Those found guilty of using or of being in possession of nyaope face a maximum of 15 years in prison or a fine as determined by the court or both.
Dealing in nyaope could earn a user a 25-year term, a fine or both
A 20-year-old nyaope addict said he knows of several instances where the drug user died from using the drug and some being attacked by a mob.
He wished there was a free rehabilitation facility in the area that can help addicts.
The local police said many of the crimes reported in the area are substance-abuse related.
