The Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine has published a case study of two such men from the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.

They resorted to “kissing” cobras to taunt them into biting their tongues after having become resistant to opioids after 15 years of addiction.

However, the technique is extremely dangerous as the venom from a single king cobra bite is enough to kill an elephant.

The research paper will raise alarm bells over the extent of drug abuse in India, where the law stipulates harsh punishments for both possession and distribution.