Jenkem

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Jenkem or jekem is an inhaled gas which can result in dissociation and hallucinations. It is made from fermented sewage. According to Fountain of Hope, a non-profit organization, Jenkem is used by street children in Lusaka, Zambia as a substitute for ordinary inhalants such as glue or petrol. The news reports give no information as to how or when the children first began manufacturing jenkem. According to BBC News it has been around since at least 1997.

Psychoactive effects

Its effects last for around an hour and consists of auditory and visual hallucinations. A 16-year-old boy describes his preference for jenkem over other inhalants "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." The raw materials are plentiful and freely available in the form of fecal matter from the open sewers of Lusaka. This is then fermented in plastic bottles and the fumes are inhaled.

External links

• "In Zambia, the Abandoned Generation" New York Times, 1998 ("Jekem" mentioned in passing)
• "African Children Orphaned by AIDS" Associated Press, 1999 ("Jekem" mentioned in passing)