Smoking scorpions to get high is a growing problem in south Asia. The high can last from 10 hours to 3 days. The high is said to be so powerful that it outstrips heroin. But the person spends the first six hours in pain while their body adjusts to the toxins, which can possibly lead to death

For a cost of 70 to 200 rupees, or $1 to $3 in U.S. currency, a dealer will place a scorpion in a person’s hand and bat it with a stick until it imparts venom with its tail. Others opt to smoke the scorpion, which involves burning it alive over coals while inhaling the venomous smoke. Still others will dry a dead scorpion in sunlight, mix its remains with hashish and tobacco, and either roll it like a cigarette or place it in a small pipe.