It has been noted by experts on terrorism that the primary threat to civilization by the criminal element is attack via biological agents. Many of the same publishers that distribute bombmaking manuals also offer guides on how to obtain poisonous substances and grow dangerous bacteria in petri dishes. Similar instructions (often incomplete or inaccurate) can be found on the Internet. It is for this reason that the following short essay was written.

When poison is delivered to a victim, it is usually surreptitiously introduced into his food or drink. If you have enemies, it is of the utmost importance that you have absolute confidence in the person(s) who prepares your food! There have been many documented cases of assassins (political as well as criminal) infiltrating the kitchen of a restaurant frequented by their target – if not actually hiring on as an employee of the target himself! In order to avoid being the victim of deliberate poisoning, I would advise one to take the following steps:

1.) Never leave food in a common-access refrigerator (such as in an employee breakroom).

2.) Never leave food or drink unattended – even for a moment! Nor should you allow strangers to get too near while you are dining (or imbibing).

3.) Always leave your home securely locked (and if you have enemies, I’d even go so far as to rig your refrigerator in such a way as to show evidence of tampering. If a container of food has mysteriously been opened, and others claim no knowledge of it, I would strongly urge you to discard the product in question.

4.) Always inspect your food closely before eating it.

5.) If your food has a disagreeable (or unusual) taste or odor, it must be immediately discarded.

In the unfortunate event that you believe that yourself, or another, has been poisoned, immediately induce vomiting (via gagging or ipecac), dilute with a quart of water, secure a sample of the adulterated foodstuff, and medevac to the nearest emergency care facility.

Now, let us examine poison’s potential as a weapon, and discuss why it’s use is generally inappropriate and widely reviled.

First and foremost, to use poison as a weapon is one of the most cowardly, dishonorable, and reprehensible crimes a person can commit. Most poisons will not kill instantly. Poisons tend to sicken their victims, weakening them with cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea (which worsen as the liver and kidneys shut down), and finally culminating in their dying in a hospital bed after days (or weeks) of suffering. Victims who are fatally poisoned have varying symptoms depending on the toxin used. At first, a burning sensation may be felt in the throat. The victim may experience either pallor or jaundice. Hair and fingernails may fall out. Blood, bile, mucus, or foam may be vomited. Some victims will be in excruciating pain while they hemorrhage internally, while others will whither and fail as their vital organs shut down one after another. . . the lucky ones will fall into a coma. In some instances, the victim will suffocate as the diaphragm tightens, and muscles can spasm with enough force to break bones. Even the deadliest poisons seldom kill immediately. For at least five minutes, victims will convulse, frothing at the mouth in agonizing pain before they expire. Contrary to popular belief, death by poisoning is seldom neat and humane. No true warrior would ever consider poisoning his enemies! Poison is the favored weapon of "ninja-freaks" and demented caregivers (along with the occasional disgruntled scientist).

Secondly, poisons are not reliable. A "fatal" dose often sickens the recipient for several days, after which he makes a full recovery. Cyanide comes in various forms, each with a different degree of lethality. Homemade botulism and ricin is often weak, contaminated, or dilute. Potency of the infamous blowfish poison, tetrodotoxin, varies greatly due to factors such as species, locale, and time of year. Not only is the effectiveness of your substance questionable, but human constitution varies greatly as well. Not only are some people either frail or incredibly strong, but some bodies have either hypersensitivity or immunity to certain toxins. Very few poisons are guaranteed to work without fail — and even then, delivery to the subject can still present problems.

Third, poisons are indiscriminate. They will effect anyone who comes in contact with them, much like a boobytrap. Even if you put the poison in the subject’s prescription medication, there is still a chance that he might offer it to others, or others might see it and help themselves. If you treat a letter addressed to him with toxic dust, or paint the steering wheel of his car with a potent contact poison, it is possible that a family member or employee could be affected instead. Not only would this result in undesired innocent casualties, but even worse, it would alert the target that an attempt had been made on his life. The only way to assure delivery to the proper target is by using a poisoned blade, dart, or crossbow bolt . . . but that would defeat the poisoner’s cowardly goal of striking anonymously and safely, wouldn’t it?

Fourth, poisons are seldom untraceable. Modern lab technology can easily identify even exotic toxins if criminal poisoning is suspected. Cyanide, strychnine, arsenic, insecticide, solvents, nicotine, ricin, ethylene glycol, and heavy metals all are easily detected by toxicological analysis. If the person had no regular contact with such a substance, the authorities will aggressively begin compiling possible suspects. If you are known to have a possible motive, you will be interrogated. Most poisoners are weaklings with poor interpersonal skills, and would likely incriminate themselves (through either word or action) to a skilled detective.

Fifth, poisons are incredibly dangerous to work with. Many poisons can be absorbed through the skin or have toxic fumes. Most poisons are considered "toxic waste," and are not something you want to spill in your kitchen, as it is risky and time consuming to clean them up. Toxic waste needs to be disposed of properly, and is not to be flushed down one’s toilet or dumped in one’s backyard . . . not only is this "bad for the environment," but it can contaminate the aquifer as well. I have seen instructions for working with: poisons that are deadly at the microgram weight, bacterium which replicate themselves rapidly in vast numbers, and radioactive isotopes liberated from household appliances with the aid of a screwdriver and hammer. Many of the aforementioned substances are highly resistant to decontamination, and the slightest breeze can result in airborne particles. These instructions make no mention of protective gear, safety precautions, or antidotes, and imply that these substances can be safely worked with at one’s kitchen table. I cannot stress how incredibly stupid it is to experiment with substances toxic at amounts invisible to the naked eye.

Poisons are most often delivered through the ingestion of contaminated foodstuffs, but they can also be: smeared on doorknobs, added to shampoo, introduced into clothing, hidden in furniture, sprayed into air-conditioning units, loaded into bombs, or dumped into reservoirs. The cowardly poisoner sneakily slips his poison where it will do the most potential damage, and then sneaks away without anyone seeing him, so as to place himself at minimal risk. If the poisoner is less cowardly, he may smear his toxin on a blowgun dart, an arrowhead, or a dagger — or he could even press it into hollowpoint bullets. Assassins with limited skill, or who are on a suicide mission and won’t have opportunity for a second chance, have been known to taint their hardware in such a dastardly manner.