Bad Breath; Scopolamine

"Everything about scopolamine has to do with hurting people.
Scopolamine is made from the fruit of the Borrachero tree, whose flowers are narcotic. Locals use the tree's flowers in tea as a hallucinogen, but the fruit must be chemically processed to create scopolamine."
http://www.nowpublic.com/style/scopolamine-vice-tv-seeks-out-devils-breath-2602213.html

Researching this drug was fascinating as I read so many different accounts. An astronaut’s wife explained it was prescribed to her for motion sickness, but it clearly affected her short term memory. It was also being discussed as a treatment for lifting people out of extreme depression. The quoted site above talked about prostitutes using this to drug customers into getting PIN numbers and other valuable information.

It has been nicknamed “The Devil’s Breath”, because it can cause hallucinations and can supposedly rob a person of their free will. According to one report in Colombia, a man supposedly committed murder while he was unknowingly under its influence.

As a former recreational drug user, this reminds me how precarious it is to ride the psychedelic train, whether it is prescribed or not (and how thankful I am I got off the ride, myself). Does anybody really understand the overall effects of putting any drug into our bodies and minds? IMHO, we’re playing doctor and trying to stamp out symptoms rather than exploring the root of our troubles.