Cops in Somalia have classified ants as a drug, after discovering that people were steaming the insects and inhaling their vapour to get high, the BBC reported.
They are now worried the insects may soon appear on endangered species lists as mense are hunting for them.
Odorous house ants, scientific name tapinoma sessile, are known to contain formic acid.
According to Africa News Daily, there are accounts of birds appearing “drunk” after eating large quantities of these ordinary miertjies, and a security officer has told TV station Somali Cable that humans are deliberately using it to similar effect.
“They cut off the ants’ bottoms, then they put them in the pan with the lid on – after it’s boiled for a while people sit around and hover over it, and they get high,” say authorities.
Authorities suggest that there is now a “shortage” of these common ants also known as sugar ant, stink ant, and coconut ant, because people are going out and looking for them.
Doctors, however, warn that coming into contact with formic acid can cause dizziness, nausea and vomiting, citing a report from Africa News Daily.
Meanwhile, research shows that while the effects of smoking catnip are clearly subjective based on the healthy mix of people who say it works and those who claim it does not, the fact of the matter is that seemingly thousands of people try this each year in order to get high, reports IOL.
However, according to the website recoveryfirst.org, catnip has been used since ancient times for its sedative properties when ingested, and is of course well-known to elicit a significant response in domestic cats.