Noida rave party: Science of how snake poison works as an intoxicant

Snake venom intoxication is a rare and unusual addiction, which can be potentially lethal. Furthermore, possession or use of intoxicants including snake venom is a criminal offence in India. (Photo by Ray Bilcliff via Pexels)

Earlier this week, police in Kota, Rajasthan, briefly detained Elvish Yadav, the winner of the Bigg Boss OTT 2, for allegedly supplying snake venom for a rave party in Noida - near Delhi. While the investigation is still underway, this has sparked a broader discussion on the potential misuse of snake venom to get a high and for recreational purposes. Let’s learn more about snake venom and how it can affect the human body:

What makes snake venom lethal?

Snake venom serves a dual purpose: it acts as a defensive tool for snakes, and also helps them immobilize and digest their prey. The neurotoxins in snake venom have been reported in the scientific literature to have psychoactive (mind-altering) properties - they may induce symptoms like sleepiness, sense of grandiosity, pain- and stress-relief, sexual arousal, and sense of well-being in users. Researchers note that regular users also seem to build higher tolerance for the poisons. Having said that, they also report symptoms like blurry vision and lethargy. And death by poisoning is a very real possibility when using snake venom for recreational purposes.

Snake venom is a lethal mixture that contains various components including:

● Proteins and peptides (90-95 percent)

● Amino acids

● Nucleic acids

● Carbohydrates

● Lipids

● Nucleosides

● Amines

These components make snake venom:

● Neurotoxic: Damages the nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord

● Cardiotoxic: Damages the heart muscles

● Cytotoxic: Damage the cells and inhibits their function

● Disintrigrins: Interferes with blood clotting and platelet aggregation, thereby increasing the risk of bleeding disorders

● Haemorrhagin: Increases the risk of bleeding or haemorrhage

Medicinal uses of snake venom

Owing to the potentially lethal nature of snake venom, snake bites pose a serious threat to human life. However, you’ll be surprised to know that traditionally in Ayurveda, homoeopathy, and traditional medicine, snake venom was used to treat some health conditions.

Even today, scientists have been using snake venom extracts for the treatment of thrombosis (abnormal blood clot), arthritis (inflammation of joints), cancer and many other diseases.

While the toxic effects have already been mentioned above, when used under medical supervision, the pharmacological benefits of snake venom may include:

● Antitumoral properties: Studies reveal the cytotoxic effects of snake venom components can be used to destroy tumour cells, thus aiding in the treatment of cancer.

● Antibacterial property: Snake venom has antibacterial properties that can help treat infections caused by both gram-positive bacteria (such as pneumonia and botulism) and gram-negative bacteria (such as peptic ulcers and gonorrhoea).

● Antiviral properties: Snake venom can be used in the treatment of viral diseases such as measles, yellow fever and dengue, and even Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

Moreover, there are several FDA-approved snake venom-based drugs in the market such as captopril, aggrastat, and defibrase, that are actively used for the treatment of medical conditions like hypertension, heart ailments, and stroke.

However, these medicines are carefully extracted and titrated. Under no circumstances is being bitten by a snake - on the foot, tongue or anywhere else - considered medically safe.

Can snake venom intoxication be life-threatening?

Globally, snake venom is considered to be the most dangerous form of psychoactive substance. Psychoactive substances are chemicals which, when ingested, inhaled or introduced into the body, can cause temporary changes in the nervous system, resulting in changed mood, consciousness, cognition or behaviour.

Studies have reported that people addicted to snake venom experience ecstasy, muscular weakness and sedation after getting the bite. However, as per the World Health Organization (WHO), given the neurotoxic nature of snake venom, a snake bite can result in paralysis, haemorrhage, irreversible kidney damage and permanent disability.

Snake venom intoxication is a rare and unusual addiction, which can be potentially lethal. Furthermore, possession or use of intoxicants including snake venom is a criminal offence in India.