Related: Bone Stuffed With Henbane First Solid Evidence of The Plant’s Use as a Drug<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The UK’s first known murder linked to scopolamine was reported in 2019<\/a> when the Irish dancer Adrian Murphy was poisoned by thieves attempting to sell items stolen from him. In a more recent case<\/a> in London, a woman reported symptoms consistent with scopolamine exposure after being targeted on public transport.<\/p>\n Scopolamine, also known as hycosine<\/a>, is a tropane alkaloid<\/a>, a type of plant-derived compound<\/a> found in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). It has a long history: indigenous communities in South America traditionally used it for spiritual rituals due to its potent psychoactive effects.<\/p>\n In modern medicine<\/a>, scopolamine (marketed in the UK as hyoscine hydrobromide<\/a>) is prescribed to prevent motion sickness, nausea, vomiting, and muscle spasms. It also reduces saliva production before surgery. Brand names include Kwells (tablets) and Scopoderm (patches).<\/p>\n As an anticholinergic drug<\/a>, scopolamine blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine<\/a>, which plays a vital role in memory, learning, and coordination. Blocking it helps reduce nausea by interrupting signals from the balance (vestibular) system to the brain. But it also comes with side effects, especially when used in high doses or outside a clinical setting.<\/p>\n How it affects the brain<\/p>\n Scopolamine disrupts the cholinergic system<\/a>, which is central to memory formation and retrieval. As a result, it can cause temporary but severe memory loss: a key reason it’s been weaponised in crimes. Some studies<\/a> also suggest it increases oxidative stress in the brain, compounding its effects on cognition.<\/p>\n The drug’s power to erase memory, sometimes described as ‘zombifying’<\/a>, has made it a focus of forensic and criminal interest. Victims often describe confusion, hallucinations and a complete loss of control.<\/p>\n Uses and misuses<\/p>\n In clinical settings, scopolamine is sometimes used off-label for depression<\/a>, excessive sweating<\/a>, or even to help quit smoking<\/a>. But outside these uses, it’s increasingly associated with danger.<\/p>\n Recreational users are drawn to its hallucinogenic effects<\/a> \u2013 but the line between tripping and toxic is razor thin.<\/p>\n In Colombia and other parts of South America, scopolamine, also known as burundanga<\/a>, has been implicated in countless robberies and sexual assaults<\/a>. Victims describe feeling dreamlike, compliant, and unable to resist or recall events. That’s what makes it so sinister \u2013 it robs people of both agency and memory.<\/p>\n The drug is often administered surreptitiously. In its powdered form, it’s odourless and tasteless<\/a>, making it easy to slip into drinks or blow into someone’s face, as some victims<\/a> have reported. Online forums detail how to make teas or infusions from plant parts, seeds, roots, flowers \u2013 heightening the risk of DIY misuse.<\/p>\n Once ingested, the drug works quickly and exits the body within about 12 hours, making it hard to detect<\/a> in routine drug screenings. For some people, even a dose under 10mg can be fatal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Signs of scopolamine poisoning include rapid heartbeat and palpitations, dry mouth and flushed skin, blurred vision, confusion and disorientation, hallucinations and drowsiness.<\/p>\n If you experience any of these, especially after an unexpected drink or interaction, seek medical attention<\/a> immediately. Dipa Kamdar<\/a>, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University<\/a><\/p>\n This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Scopolamine, more chillingly known as “devil’s breath,” is a drug with a dual identity. In medicine, it’s used…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":234315,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4315],"tags":[105,4326,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-234314","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-medication","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114788539424691375","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234314"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234314\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1751534003_743_0.jpg\")
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frameborder=”0\u2033 allowfullscreen=”allowfullscreen”>Devil’s Breath documentary trailer, Journeyman Pictures.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1751534005_515_count.gif\")
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