taba

plural tabas

1. countableuncountableA lump of dried tobacco, occasionally mixed with other recreational drugs, placed in the vagina for its stimulating effects.

   Health authorities in The Gambia are raising alarm over a growing practice among women involving the intravaginal use of a local powdered tobacco called “taba” or “tabaa.”

   2025 December 26, “Gambian women put tobacco ‘taba’ in vaginas”, in edge.ug, archived from the original on 01 Jan 2026

   2 more examples

   “Taba,” the Mandinka term for tobacco, refers to a locally made tobacco substance that was commonly used by older generations in The Gambia well before independence. This practice, which was often adopted by individuals seeking energy boosts or stress relief, has taken a troubling turn in recent years. Today, a mixture of various substances under the same name is being used predominantly by women and girls, and shockingly, it is applied through their genitals for a range of purposes.

   2024 December 30, ““Taba” addiction, dangers it poses among Gambian women, girls”, in The Voice, archived from the original on 08 Aug 2025

   Sellers like Saf take regular taba and mix it with potent chemicals to enhance its intoxicating effect. Many women then use it intravaginally, believing it enhances sexual pleasure.

   2025 March 19, Kaddy Jawo, “‘I nearly died’: Taba, the tobacco drug Gambian women share in secret”, in Al Jazeera, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2025