Apparently, there’s now a new way for teens in Indonesia to get high. And no, it’s not drugs or alcohol but something you would never expect. Their new “drug” of choice is actually sanitary pads! Yes, the ones women use during their menstruation! If you were curious as to how one gets high on pads, well, they drink the water they get from boiling the pads. Wait, what? According to Tempo, a Member of the Indonesian Child Protection Commision (KPAI), Sitty Hikmawatty says that this is a new way for those who want to get high but can’t afford alcohol or drugs. It’s how they discovered this cheaper alternative.
Sitty said that these kids are getting more creative, especially with the existence of the Internet that allows them to discover such things. They even try and add several other variants inside this new “drug” to make it more effective. Due to those trial and error, the risk of danger increases as multiple different substances are added, regardless whether the additives are harmful or not. A chemical researcher in Bandung Institute of Technology, Yessi Permana stated that a sweat-absorbent polymer, better known as superabsorbent polymers (SAP) contained in sanitary pads will affect the eyes, especially if it is boiled and consumed.
These cases were detected in Jakarta, Bogor, Bekasi, Depok and Tangerang. Sitty continued by saying the number of teenagers getting high on sanitary pads have been increasing since 2017. The exact amount was, however, not mentioned.
