Bigg Boss OTT Season 2 winner Elvish Yadav has been booked by the Noida Police for allegedly supplying snake venom at a rave party along with five other people.
Venom and snake bites are increasingly being used by drug addicts at rave parties these days. Snakebite acts as a stimulant similar to drugs like morphine and cocaine.
A study by the 'National Institutes Of Health' on 'Snake Venom Use As A Substitute For Opioids' concluded that derivatives from reptiles such as snakes, reptiles, and scorpions are used by people as a substitute or additional agent to get high.
Spiny-tailed lizards' burnt lizard carcasses, toxic honey, Spanish flies and cantharides are also used for doping purposes at rave parties as per the study by the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology.
Method of getting a snake bite
Snake venom is used in rave parties for doping purposes as per the 'Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology' and their study on the the same explained in detail the method of using snake venom to get high.
Research paper mentions that "Snakes are held near the head end of the snake, just distal to the lip margin, by the person in charge of snakes. A sharp slap on the snake’s head with a blunt item causes it to bite. It is made sure that a minimal amount of venom is injected in the little toe or index finger for minimal envenomation followed by getting a snakebite in the individual’s lip, tongue or ear lobes."
Preferred snakes
Naja naja (cobra) | Britannica
The snakes chosen are from nomadic tribesmen or slum snake charmers, for example: Bungarus caeruleus (common krait), Naja naja (cobra) and Opheodrys vernalis (green snake), rat snake and green vine.
Scientific studies on snake venom's effect on the human body
A study by the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology derived that people who turn to snake venom have earlier tried various psychotropic substances. Adolescents mostly prefer snake venom abuse to remain high at all times.
When venom mixes with human blood, it releases serotonin, bradykinin, peptides, and prostaglandins having a hypnotic and sedative psychotropic effect but there has been no explanation for no neurotoxic effect of snake venom on the human body and brain.
Post-snake bite symptoms
The psychotropic effect after a snake bite differs from individual to individual but it has a similar effect like morphine. Symptoms after a snake bite include lethargy, blurred vision, giddiness, drowsiness, dizziness, intense persistent euphoria, and intense state of arousal.
Case against Elvish Yadav
On Thursday, November 2, Noida police had raided a rave party from where they recovered 20 millilitres of snake venom, as well as five cobras, one python, two two-headed snakes, and one rat snake. Five people were arrested in connection with the party and Elvish's name was mentioned in the FIR along with theirs.
A large number of cobras are reportedly killed for their venom which is smuggled to Delhi and adjoining areas to be used in rave parties.
