NPR describes bizarre new addiction.

[pnwmom]

At the risk of being accused of diverting people from the all-important coming election . . . just wanted to warn people not to suck on any toads.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6376594

I HIGHLY recommend hitting the LISTEN button and hearing the whole story. The written version just doesn't give you the full flavor, so to speak.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

1. I listened to that on the radio earlier

Amazing story and what a darling doggie!

[don954]

2. we got hallucinogenic toads down here now..

invasion from south america.. The teens are getting into toad-lickin... :think:

[Up2Late]

5. How did they get there? Accidental introduction or...

...did people import them, then release then when they were done with them?

[don954]

14. i think it was an accident.. they are all over the florida everglades

now..

[enuffs_enuffs]

3. Puppy likes to trip w/friends and fam. Nuthin' wrong w/that. n/t

[Up2Late]

4. It sounds similar to that South American Toad that someone discovered...

...a few years back, then teens and twenty somethings started finding and licking, to get a LSD-like high.

I really don't understand why these always seems to surprise people, anytime you find a poison that is only mildly toxic to pets and/or humans (like this one that the frog uses as a defense mechanism), I will most likely have this sort of effect.

It's just like "magic mushrooms" or an alcoholic beverage, both are mild poisons that the body can tolerate and expel without much permanent damage.

[KamaAina]

6. Someone forward this to Dick Morris pronto!

Oh, toads, not toes. Sorry about that. Never mind... :spank:

[Spider Jerusalem]

7. Hardly an addiction...

as far as I know, bufoteine isn't an addictive substance (hallucinogens in general aren't addictive, for that matter).

[pnwmom]

8. Tell that to the poor suffering family.

And the sucked-white toads.

[StClone]

9. Allegory about Rush Limbaugh effect

Licking (listening to) toxic toads (limbaugh) creates an addictive hallucinogenic high for dogs (Limbaugh listeners). So addicted the dogs (Limbaugh listeners) will do anything to get high (escape reality into Rush-world).

[Bobbieo]

10. We had poisonous toads in Tucson in the 50's during monsoon season.

They were called buffas - our dog got into one one nite and just froze with one paw raised. A frantic call to the vet brought out the fact that if we washed out his mouth with water, he would recover. Darn dog recovered and did it again the following week after a storm.

[pnwmom]

11. Did he recover on his own

or did you have to take him to Toad Suckers Anonymous?

[Bobbieo]

12. Recovered on his own without toads anonmyous

Just remember the name of the things. Colorado River Toads - they were in Tucson but I have never seen one in Yuma which is right on the Colorado. Biggest and ugliest dirty green things I have ever seen - Gross!!!

[pnwmom]

13. YUK!