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What Is Smoking Bufo Toad? The Substance and Its Risks, Explained

“Smoking Bufo toad” refers to inhaling vapor from a mixture made from Sonoran toad secretion—not necessarily pure 5-MeO-DMT. Here is what is known about its composition, health risks, evidence and U.S. federal status.
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“Smoking Bufo toad” usually means inhaling vapor from dried secretion of the Sonoran Desert toad, also called the Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius, formerly Bufo alvarius). The secretion contains the psychedelic compound 5-MeO-DMT, but it is a mixture—not the same thing as isolated 5-MeO-DMT—and it can pose serious toxic risks. The available evidence does not establish it as a safe or effective treatment.

What does “smoking Bufo toad” mean?

“Bufo” is commonly used as shorthand for a practice involving secretion from the Sonoran Desert toad. The secretion is collected and processed for inhalation; the psychedelic effect is commonly associated with 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or 5-MeO-DMT. Poison Control describes the practice and warns that it is dangerous: Poisoning from frogs, newts, toads, and salamanders.

The name can obscure an important distinction. Natural toad secretion is a mixture of substances, not a standardized dose or a synonym for pure 5-MeO-DMT. Medical toxicology sources describe other components, including bufotenine and cardioactive compounds. Bufotenine is a different compound; the names should not be used interchangeably. The University of Virginia Division of Medical Toxicology reviewed Bufo toad toxicology in its June 2025 ToxTalks bulletin.

How is toad secretion different from isolated 5-MeO-DMT?

What is being discussed Composition What the cited evidence says
Dried toad secretion A mixture that can include 5-MeO-DMT, bufotenine, and other compounds, including substances associated with cardiac toxicity. The 2019 naturalistic study examined people inhaling vapor from dried toad secretion; it did not establish that the practice is safe or effective as treatment.
Isolated 5-MeO-DMT A named psychedelic compound, rather than the full mixture of toad secretion. The cited sources establish its U.S. federal scheduling, but do not establish it as a clinically proven treatment.

Calling a substance “natural” does not make the secretion safe. Nor can risks reported for the full secretion be converted into a precise risk estimate for isolated 5-MeO-DMT. Poison Control discusses exposure to toad secretions, which can contain toxic components beyond the psychedelic compound.

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What are the health risks?

Poison Control warns that toad secretions contain multiple toxic compounds, including cardioactive steroids and catecholamines as well as tryptamines. Depending on how exposure occurs, reported harms include:

  • Eyes or nose: severe irritation, pain, and tissue damage.
  • Swallowing: numbness and potentially life-threatening effects on the heart.
  • Skin contact: severe cardiac effects can also occur after absorption through the skin.

These are hazards of exposure to the secretion; they are not a quantified prediction of what will happen to any one person or a specific estimate for purified 5-MeO-DMT. Inhalation does not make a raw or mixed secretion safe.

What should you do after suspected exposure?

Poison Control recommends prompt decontamination with water and advises against trying to manage an exposure beyond that without medical guidance. For suspected contact with toad secretion:

  1. Eyes or skin: rinse or flush the affected area thoroughly with water.
  2. Nose or mouth: rinse or irrigate with water; do not swallow rinse water.
  3. Get case-specific advice: use webPOISONCONTROL or call a U.S. poison center at 1-800-222-1222. If someone is seriously ill or having a medical emergency, call 911.
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Does research show that it works as a treatment?

No clinical conclusion follows from the limited human evidence cited here. A 2019 naturalistic study followed 42 people who inhaled vapor from dried toad secretion, assessing them before intake, within 24 hours, and four weeks later. The researchers reported changes in selected self-report and cognitive measures, but the observational design and small sample cannot show that the substance caused those changes, prove that it treats a mental-health condition, or establish safety. See the study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

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A 2018 review said its authors could find no epidemiological studies at that time examining use patterns, subjective effects, or possible medical and psychiatric harms and benefits. That is a description of the literature reviewed in that publication, not a claim that no research has appeared since. The review is available through PubMed Central.

Is 5-MeO-DMT legal in the United States?

At the U.S. federal level, 5-MeO-DMT is listed in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The DEA’s 2010 final rule placed 5-MeO-DMT, including specified salts and isomers, into Schedule I; the current regulation lists it there as well. See the DEA final rule and 21 CFR § 1308.11. This is a federal U.S. statement, not legal advice; laws elsewhere and questions about particular preparations or circumstances require jurisdiction-specific guidance.

What is known about Christina Haack’s reported use?

The sources cited here do not verify the exact statement attributed to HGTV personality Christina Haack, the wording or date of any account, or the identity of a doctor who may have explained it. Her name should not be treated as confirmation of a medical claim or as evidence that the practice is safe. The substance and its risks can be explained without attributing an unverified quotation or personal account to her.

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