Jenkem

For the skateboarding magazine, see Jenkem Magazine.

Jenkem is a purported inhalant and hallucinogen created from fermented human waste. In the mid-1990s, it was reported to be a popular street drug among Zambian youth, created by placing feces and urine in a bottle or a bucket, sealing it with a balloon or lid and leaving it to ferment in the sun; afterwards they would inhale the gases generated.[1][2][3][4]

In November 2007, there was a moral panic in the United States after widespread reports of jenkem becoming a popular recreational drug in middle and high schools across the country, though the validity of this claim has since been called into question.[5][6] Several sources reported that the increase in American media coverage was based on a hoax and on faulty Internet research.[7]

  1. ^ Donaldson, Aidan (2010). Encountering God in the Margins: Reflections of a Justice Volunteer. Veritas, ISBN 978-1-84730-220-5
  2. ^ Matheson, Ishbel (July 30, 1999). "Children high on sewage". BBC News. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference IPS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "African Children Orphaned by AIDS" Archived July 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Associated Press, 1999
  5. ^ Collier County Sheriff's Office (September 26, 2007). Information Bulletin: New Drug - JENKEM. via The Smoking Gun
  6. ^ Pietras, Jamie (November 9, 2007). "Smoke this!". Salon.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  7. ^ Emery, David (November 6, 2007). "Jenkem — Drug Warning". urbanlegends.about.com. About.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2007.