Elvish Yadav case: How is snake venom used as a recreational drug?

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

Snake venom is often used as a recreational drug. Its smuggling is a multi-million dollar illicit industry, media reports suggest.

Details:

Not enough scientific studies have been done on the recreational use of snake venom, according to a 2018 study, ‘Snake Venom Use as a Substitute for Opioids: A Case Report and Review of Literature’, published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine.

Snake venom:

Snake venom is a highly toxic saliva containing zootoxins that facilitates the immobilization and digestion of prey. This also provides defence against threats. Snake venom is injected by unique fangs during a bite, whereas some species are also able to spit venom.
The glands that secrete zootoxins are a modification of the parotid salivary glands found in other vertebrates and are usually located on each side of the head, below and behind the eye, and enclosed in a muscular sheath. The venom is stored in large glands called alveoli before being conveyed by a duct to the base of channelled or tubular fangs through which it’s ejected.
Venom contains more than 20 different compounds, which are mostly proteins and polypeptides.

How is snake venom consumed?

Snakes were deliberately made to bite on the consumer’s feet or tongue. Snakes like cobras and Indian kraits were most commonly used for this purpose.

How does snake venom affect the human body?

The snake bite was associated with jerky movements of the body, blurring of vision, and unresponsiveness, i.e. ‘blackout’, heightened arousal and sense of well-being, which lasted for 3–4 weeks, happiness, grandiosity, and excessive sleepiness.
Once the effect of the bite wore off, the person began to experience irritation and lethargy and craved drugs.

Why does snake venom give a high?

It may be due to the neurotoxin nature of snake venom that causes analgesia, or the inability to feel pain.
Forms of a neurotoxin found in cobra venom, particularly, bind on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) that are widely distributed in the human brain area and are involved in the euphoric or rewarding experience.
Once the venom enters human blood, it releases active metabolites like serotonin that have different psychotropic effects such as hypnotic and sedative.

Why is using snake venom as a recreational drug dangerous?

It isn’t well known what quality of venom can be fatal for humans. Therefore, recreational use of snake venom can lead to not only addiction but also death.

Source of this article: Indian Express