Always be vigilant

You have probably received this multi-forwarded email about burundanga. The story can be scary. It is also a piece of fiction.

The story goes something like this:

* A man approached a female at a gas station and gave her his business card. As the lady left the service station, she noticed the man plus a companion following her. Suddenly, she started feeling dizzy and out of breath. She realized there was an odor on her hand — the hand she had used to accept the man’s business card. She drove into a driveway and repeatedly honked her horn to signal for help. The men following her drove away. The lady continued to feel dizzy for several more minutes.

The email message then goes on to warn about a substance on the card called “Burundanga” which people use to incapacitate a victim, with the intention of stealing from or taking advantage of them. Allegedly, burundanga is four times more dangerous than date rape drug and is transferable on simple cards.

The email admonishes you never to accept cards from someone on the streets or when you’re alone.

In fact this email is an urban legend. The facts given about burundanga are erroneous. But the warning for you to be ALWAYS vigilant is valid. You should be wary of people who suddenly approach you trying to interest you in something.

Never go into anything alone — not even if they look particularly nice and clean-cut. Remember, people do not have to look like the devil outside to harbor evil intentions inside.

What about burundanga? It is a drug — the street version of scopolamine, well known in pharmacy and law enforcement as a ‘truth serum.’ It is extracted from a tree widespread in Colombia.

Its main effect after a ‘normal’ dose is the loss of will, although you will remain conscious. You can no longer resist when a thief orders you to hand over your money and valuables. There are known cases of rape under the effect of burundanga. Other effects are loss of memory and sleepiness, which may last from a few hours to several days. An overdose may be lethal.

Burundanga can be put into sweets, cigarettes, chewing gum, soft drinks, beer — virtually any kind of food or drink. The drug has no noticeable odor or taste.

Before it can have any appreciable effect, you must inhale or swallow burundanga, or have prolonged contact with it. Fleeting contact with a business card, as in the story, cannot do it. The story also says the lady detected a strong odor; in fact, burundanga is odorless and tasteless.

The email story is very likely fabricated. But burundanga is very real and it has been used to commit crimes — but in Colombia; there is no report of its use in the United States.

Safety Tips:

* If traveling in any area where use of burundanga has been confirmed, be extra cautious (about food and drink, especially).

* Do your own research. Do not rely on emails forwarded several times over for your facts