Are Car Catalyzers really being used to potentiate drugs in Congo?

[Neuropharmacist]

I recently saw an interesting Reuters article about car catalyzers being crushed and mixed with prescription drugs in Congo, supposedly producing a superior high.

Here's the original article: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/car-exhaust-drug-craze-alarms-congos-capital-2021-09-27/

It has already spread to dozens of small news outlets. For those interested, I made a short video discussing whether this story is true or not.



Let me know if you have superior knowledge about catalyzers potentiating drug effects. I had a hard time thinking of anything plausible - beyond the reporter having mixed catalyzer thefts and drug users stealing them as causation for using the catalyzers as drugs.

 

[Viraldrome]

It sounds like Jenkem 2

 

[neversickanymore]

wow.. really uneducated users. Wonder how the distinction, if real was identified, possible smuggling in catalytic converters led to it. The business of stealing catalytic convertors advertised for a super drug would not benefit these theves. Possibly something toxic in the cat slug that prevents breakdown of the desired intoxicants. Half life study of hard half life may show this.

 

[Joey]

wow.. really uneducated users. Wonder how the distinction, if real was identified, possible smuggling in catalytic converters led to it. The business of stealing catalytic convertors advertised for a super drug would not benefit these theves. Possibly something toxic in the cat slug that prevents breakdown of the desired intoxicants. Half life study of hard half life may show this.

Yeah. This is like people who steal bike seats. Not just from better bikes, but from each other as well. It’s a made up racket to skim the dredges. There’s not a fucking chance this is really a thing, interesting as it is.