No: licking a toad is not a dependable way to get high, and it can cause dangerous poisoning. Poison Control says the 5-MeO-DMT associated with the Sonoran Desert toad is not active when taken orally. Toad secretions contain other compounds that can affect the heart and cause serious illness.
Why people associate toads with a high
The Sonoran Desert toad, identified by Poison Control as Bufo alvarius, produces a toxic secretion containing several types of compounds. The toad-licking fad was associated with tryptamines in these secretions, including 5-MeO-DMT. But Poison Control says this compound is not active when taken orally, so licking a toad is not a reliable way to experience its effects. Some people have pursued other ways of using the secretion; those methods are dangerous and are not instructions for safe use.
The secretion is not a controlled dose or a safe recreational product. It also contains cardioactive steroids and catecholamines, which can cause poisoning independent of any sought-after psychoactive effect. Poison Control’s overview of amphibian poisoning describes the possible effects and exposure routes.
What can happen after contact with a toad’s secretion?
Effects depend on the exposure, and severe outcomes are possible rather than inevitable. Licking or swallowing secretion can numb the mouth and throat and may lead to dangerous heart effects, including an irregular rhythm, heart block, low blood pressure, or cardiac arrest.
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- Mouth or swallowing exposure: Numbness in the mouth or throat and potentially serious cardiac effects.
- Eye or nose exposure: Severe irritation and pain, with possible tissue damage.
- Skin exposure: Poison Control notes that severe effects can occur through skin absorption; do not assume that touching a toad or its secretion is safe.
These are potential consequences, not a prediction that every exposure will cause them. Poison Control does not give a fatality rate specific to toad licking. A separate case involving someone who swallowed a newt is not evidence of a death rate from toad exposure.
What to do if someone licked or touched a toad
- Stop the exposure and rinse. Wash exposed skin and rinse or flush affected areas with water. If secretion reached the eyes or nose, irrigate with water.
- Do not induce vomiting. Do not try to manage the poisoning beyond decontamination without advice from poison-control professionals or a healthcare provider.
- Get advice promptly. In the United States, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or use webPOISONCONTROL. Elsewhere, contact your local poison center or emergency service.
- Call emergency services immediately if the person collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing, or cannot be awakened.
Poison Control says treatment is largely supportive and often takes place in a hospital. The antidote it discusses applies only to the cardioactive-steroid portion of the secretion, not to every compound in it. For additional guidance, see Poison Control’s immediate-assistance page and its contact information.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to prevent toad poisoning
The safest approach is to avoid contact with amphibians and their secretions. Poison Control’s guidance is: “Do not touch, lick, swallow, or attempt to handle amphibians.” Keep pets and children from investigating or mouthing toads, and seek poison-control advice if exposure may have occurred.
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