Scorpion Smoking: A Dangerous Drug Trend in Pakistan

There are daring individuals who, when faced with something new, ask themselves, “Can I get high from this?” It might seem that all imaginable boundaries have already been reached in this regard. However, Pakistan has managed to surprise even the most adventurous drug users. In this country, people smoke scorpions—real, venomous arachnids—as a drug.

In an interview with the newspaper Dawn, 74-year-old former addict Sohbat Khan shared that he smoked scorpions back in the 1960s, and it appears this phenomenon is making a comeback. Local authorities report that this form of drug use is gaining popularity not only in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, but also in other parts of South Asia.

The Pursuit of a Scorpion High

According to Khan, smoking scorpions is far from pleasant, but it was precisely this experience that helped him overcome his opium addiction. He would collect scorpions near his village outside Peshawar or buy them from suppliers for one or two rupees each. He would then burn them alive on a stove, inhaling the smoke. The tail, which contains the most potent venom, could later be smoked with tobacco and hashish. Khan claims the high can last up to ten hours. The first few hours involve a painful adjustment, followed by a pleasant euphoria with mild hallucinogenic effects, such as the illusion that stationary objects are “dancing.”

In India, some enthusiasts skip the smoking altogether; instead, they let the scorpion sting them and experience a high from the venom, paying the owner of the arachnid over a hundred rupees per sting.

The Risks of Scorpion Smoking

If you’re looking for a safe high, scorpion smoking is not for you. There are at least 25 species of scorpions whose sting can be fatal to humans. Dr. Azaz Jamal, a healthcare worker at a clinic in Khyber, warns that inhaling scorpion venom is harmful to the human brain; possible effects include short- and long-term memory loss, sleep and appetite disturbances, and delirium. However, there are no official studies or data on this practice, even as its popularity grows. It’s possible that the effects of the venom depend on the species and habitat of the scorpion, so the impact on users may vary.

According to David Macdonald’s book Drugs in Afghanistan, a scorpion smoker from Kabul reported that the high can last up to three days, causing severe headaches and intense hallucinations.

Environmental and Social Concerns

There is another threat that scorpion smokers often overlook—the harm done to scorpion populations. Some Pakistanis, including Dr. Jamal, are calling for laws to protect scorpions from being wiped out and used as recreational drugs. Their venom can be used for medical purposes, such as fighting cancer and AIDS. But as long as traditional ways of getting high remain illegal in Pakistan, it’s unlikely that scorpion smoking enthusiasts will disappear anytime soon.