'It's absolutely dangerous': Father speaks to us about drug that sent 14 to hospital

“It was as if something had taken over my son. He was not himself‚” says a father whose son and stepson smoked the unknown drug concoction that sent 14 young adults and scholars to hospital since the weekend.

“The drug they smoke is absolutely dangerous and easily accessible‚” the father‚ who asked not to be named‚ told TimesLIVE on Wednesday.

The substances had been mainly found in Pretoria West‚ Pretoria Gardens‚ Daspoort and Hercules. “It is alleged that they buy these products over the counter at tobacco shops‚ tuck shops and adult shops‚ then mix it with cigarette tobacco or roll their own smokes‚” said police spokesperson captain Augustina Selepe.

The father described to TimesLIVE how he found his 22-year-old son and a friend in an unusual state on Sunday evening.

“I found him by accident. His mother had called and wanted to speak to him‚ so I took the phone to him. I could see from his facial expression that he was not himself‚” the father said.

He said he also noticed that his son’s friend was also not normal. He was on the floor. “The friend started vomiting. My son was trying hard to not allow the drug to take over‚ but he was acting strange. After a short while‚ he also started vomiting. I took both of them out of the house.”

The man said he had no idea what had come over his son and his friend. “It was only later that my son told me that he and the friend had smoked an unknown drug which the friend had bought from a tobacco shop.”

He said his 25-year-old stepson had gone to the shops when he discovered his son and his friend. “He had come back from the shops. He sat down for 15 minutes and then he started acting strangely. He was hallucinating. He acted as if he was having a fit.”

The man said his stepson was rushed to hospital where he is currently being treated. “We don’t know when he will be discharged‚ but we will send him to a rehabilitation clinic when he comes out of hospital.”

He said both his son and stepson occasionally smoked weed‚ but had never behaved in a strange manner.

“I know the effects of marijuana and they are nothing compared to those of the unknown drug. I had tested my son a couple of days before he smoked the drug and he tested negative for drugs‚ except marijuana.”