Drug Taste: How Does It Happen?
ADE is kicking off, which means that besides the necessary burgers and fries, plenty of pills will be ‘popped’ and ‘lines’ will be done. But what effect do these actually have on our taste?
That differs by type of drug. Daan Keiman from the Trimbos Institute explains it for each type.
Stimulants: MDMA, cocaine, speed
“Stimulants suppress the feeling of hunger. That is a very important part of our taste sensation. It is comparable to shopping for groceries when you’re hungry: everything looks appealing. When you’re not hungry, you see that it looks tasty, but it seems less appealing because you’re already full. Stimulants have that same effect.”
“With speed and cocaine, you snort a chemical substance, which damages your nose and reduces your sense of smell. Your nose also has a huge influence on your taste.”
“Stimulants also inhibit saliva production. Your taste buds work better with plenty of saliva; a dry mouth reduces taste. If you spend an entire day at a festival without eating, the number of bacteria in your mouth increases, and they bring a nasty taste with them. Comparable to morning breath. Drinking water helps a little, but it is not the same as saliva. Saliva breaks down the bacteria; water does not.”
And what about drinking beer? “Alcohol also dehydrates you. That is why, at a wine tasting, you eat something dry between the wines to neutralize the taste and keep saliva production going.”
“Finally, substances such as MDMA cause certain signals and perceptions from your senses to change anyway. Taste and smell are two of them. You may therefore experience food and drink very differently than usual. You often see people eating citrus fruits, bananas and ice cream. Your body is tired and needs sugar. People do feel that they need to eat, but they are not hungry. A banana is soft and requires little saliva. You can usually still get that down.”
What people also manage to ‘get down easily’ during their trip is alcohol and cigarettes. “Speed and cocaine also widen your airways, allowing you to inhale more deeply. When you are under the influence, you feel the immediate disadvantages of alcohol (fogginess, dehydration) and tobacco (shortness of breath, dehydration) much less. Some people drink almost twice as much under the influence of stimulants. Your body does suffer the damage, but you only feel it the next day.”
Hallucinogens: 2cb, LSD, magic mushrooms
“These drugs do not suppress hunger, but they do intensify your senses and perceptions. As a result, the effect is very different for everyone: one person suddenly finds their favorite food ‘divine’, while another no longer likes it at all.”
Cannabis
“Cannabis has the exact opposite effect of stimulants: it intensifies the feeling of hunger and taste. That is why people are often prescribed cannabis after chemotherapy to help them eat. And the term ‘munchies’ does not exist for nothing: using cannabis can cause an enormous appetite.”
Tips
“If you combine drugs, you never know what will happen. Everyone has the right to harm themselves, but we always advise: if you do something anyway, think carefully beforehand about what you want. If you have decided not to drink alcohol because you are taking MDMA, and someone offers you a beer, what will you do? Think about that. And you do need to eat; your body needs it. For example, bring a (high-fiber) shake made with things you like.”
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