Scorpion cigarettes and their poisonous effects on users

Who has heard of scorpion cigarettes? Do you know what they mean and the dangers that this new modality represents? 

Everyone knows the series of harmful effects that smoking – and the use of a multitude of other substances – can bring to our body, right? 

And although smoking has been fashionable for many decades, for some time now the number of people who smoke has been decreasing more and more.

This has left health professionals hopeful that the habit of smoking will soon be extinguished in the next generations.

But despite this visible decrease – which is mainly caused by anti-smoking campaigns and awareness of the harm that smoking can cause – smoking is still a habit present in our society.

And in addition to conventional cigarettes and derivatives – such as vapes, electronic cigarettes and hookahs – a new modality that is as dangerous as smoking itself has been slowly becoming popular – but still worrying – in some parts of the world: scorpion cigarettes.

Have you heard of this new category? Do you know what it is and what are the main dangers that this practice can pose to smokers?

If you are also curious – and at the same time worried – about this new category, this content was made for you!

Throughout the text, you will check out the main information about this practice, discover its origin and better understand what it is about and why this is such a worrying practice.

What are scorpion cigarettes?

Scorpion cigarettes are a practice used by those seeking a new type of recreational drug.

Despite the name, consuming this drug does not necessarily mean smoking a cigarette, as you will see throughout the text.

Just like so many other drugs that are part of the reality of millions of human beings – such as marijuana, cocaine, crack, methamphetamine and even alcohol – users of scorpion cigarettes also seek to obtain pleasure through the “high” that these narcotics provide.

But is this really a new practice? That’s what we’ll find out in the next topic.

What is the origin of scorpion cigarettes?

As much as this movement about scorpion cigarettes is starting to make noise now – suggesting that this is a recent practice – this is not necessarily a reality.

Contrary to what one might think, the habit of smoking scorpion cigarettes is something much older.

In southern Asia, some older users have reported that they have been smoking scorpion cigarettes for decades and, according to them, this practice is not considered to be harmful to health.

But this is far from being unanimous and not even true.

An interview conducted by Dawn magazine caused a stir in 2016, portraying the real dangers that this practice can bring to the lives of smokers.

Next, we will talk a little more about her.

An interview portraying the reality and dangers behind the use of this cigarette

At the time, the magazine – which is of Pakistani origin – interviewed Sohbat Khan, a 74-year-old man who said he was a heavy smoker of Scorpion cigarettes.

According to the elderly man – who at the time lived in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the border with Afghanistan – he had been using these cigarettes since the 1960s. 

And after years of using the substance, Sohbat reported that he managed to kick the habit, but ended up exchanging this addiction for another: opium. 

According to Sohbat, the substance is highly addictive, and during all the years he used scorpion cigarettes, he went through several situations, such as having to travel from his province to Peshawar, one of the regional capitals nearby.

And despite all the dangers that the use of this substance poses to the health of those who consume it, scorpion cigarettes are easily found in the region and are not necessarily considered an illegal activity.

And another point that ends up facilitating consumption is the region's environment. 

Pakistan's characteristic hot climate makes capturing these scorpions relatively easy for drug users. 

How are these scorpion cigarettes consumed?

Now that you know a little more about these cigarettes and their origin, it's time to talk about how this substance is consumed.

During the interview given to Dawn, Sohbat described what this process is like.

According to him, after the scorpions are captured, they are killed. After that, they can be left to dry in the sun or even roasted. 

In many cases, the animals were roasted alive. According to Sohbat, the process involves inhaling the smoke that is emitted at this time.

Although the main objective of this process is to inhale the animal's venom – which is concentrated in its tail – most of the time the animal is completely inhaled.

According to reports, the hallucinogenic effects caused by consuming these scorpion cigarettes usually last for about 10 hours.

But unlike many other drugs that are known to provide feelings of relaxation, pleasure and even agitation, these cigarettes do not work that way.

Still based on reports, the first six hours after consuming the drug can be painful, as if the user's body were going through a process of adapting to the poison.

And to conclude Sohbat's interview, he reported that young people in the region continue to use the substance, even after clear signs that its consumption is bad for their health.

This public would have the habit of mixing the roasted scorpion tail with other substances, such as hashish and tobacco.

After that, they smoke the mixture like a more traditional cigarette, further enhancing the effects and dangers of consumption.

Side effects of consumption include memory loss – both short and long term – delusions and even death.

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