Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Entertainment
By Monica Machicao

Coca chewing gets chic makeover with bubblegum flavor and TikTok fans

FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator uses coca leaves during clashes with police over a new coca market, in La Paz, Bolivia August 8, 2022. REUTERS/Claudia Morales/File Photo

With flavors ranging from bubble gum to passion fruit and TikTok stars promoting it, chewing coca has become the latest chic trend in Bolivia.

Andean villagers have chewed coca leaves - the base ingredient of cocaine - for centuries to help ward off the effects of high altitude and hunger. Consumption of the leaves is legal in Bolivia and coca is considered by many in the region as a sacred plant.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.