The demand for sea urchin venom for use in medical research has never been greater, and few places have benefited as much as Lahaina. It seems as if a new extraction business is opening on every corner. The industry’s amazing growth (over 200% in the last 6 months alone) has spurred a modern day venom rush. With promising research on the horizon, it seems nothing can stop the urchin train. However, a troubling new fad threatens to derail the venom business in Lahaina. Called “lurchin,” people are ingesting urchin poison, and filming themselves engaging in physical activities, while the poison numbs their nervous system. Participants say it’s nothing more than some harmless fun. Officials call it dangerous, and an incredibly stupid trend.
Over two years ago, Veilcorp’s huge urchin restoration program was met with much anger and push back. Many felt the project was the company’s retribution for a legal suit brought against Veilcorp over the failed rail project. Mayor Cravalho himself argued that the program would ruin beaches and hurt tourism, but a lot can change in a few years.
When Vereserum announced the fast-track release of Echinodone last spring, the urchin business started booming. The powerful pain medication is incredibly safe, with almost no risk of accidental overdose, non-addictive, and derived from sea urchin venom. Instead of crippling the Lahaina economy, the urchin restoration project became an area gold mine almost overnight. It is that boom in the industry, and the availability of urchin venom, that some say is responsible for the “lurchin” fad.
You don’t have to look hard to find videos or pictures of people lurchin around Lahaina, and unfortunately the trend seems to be spreading. Named after the jerky movements the toxin causes, there are hundreds of videos showing people ingesting urchin venom and riding bikes, climbing, skateboarding, or even surfing as the poison suppresses their nervous system, sometimes to the point of temporary paralysis. Craig Luahi’s lurchin videos on Glimpsea and YouTube have been viewed millions of times, and he says there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding the practice. “It’s actually very hard and takes a lot of brain power to pull off. Lurchin is not for the weak willed. Imagine your whole body feeling like it’s asleep. You can barely feel your arms, legs, or face. Now imagine trying to jump a skateboard, run across a beam, or climb a tree like that. What we’re doing is pushing the limits of the mind-body connection. We’re not just a bunch of idiots drinking poison for attention. We’re artists!”
Still, dozens have been injured, and officials say it’s only a matter of time before the practice leads to a death. Marine biologist and urchin researcher Dr. Alanai Kalipalani, says the trend is, “beyond stupid.”
“We’ve been deriving medicines from venom for a long time. Cone snail venom has led to painkillers, gila monster venom was used to develop effective diabetes medicines, sea anemone toxins have been used to battle autoimmune diseases, and snake venoms have been vital to the creation of amazing anticoagulant drugs. There just wasn’t a lot of work done with sea urchin venom until the past 3-5 years, and I think the results speak for themselves. I have seen promising research using urchin toxin to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It would be a shame if the actions of a few incredibly stupid people ruin a whole new avenue of medical research. Ingesting urchin venom can cause fatigue, weakness, muscle aches, shock, paralysis, and even respiratory failure. I hope this fad runs it course soon before it causes irreparable harm or lasting injuries.”
Local business owner and Dr. Kalipalani’s brother Ronnie agrees strongly. Owner of Ronnie Kalipalani Construction, Ron says that the fad has cost his business thousands of dollars, and him countless hours of sleep. Kalipalani says many of his work sites have become targets for people lurchin, and he’s had to hire security to keep them away. “I remember the first time we found people lurchin on a site. It was like a nightmare,” he says.
“Mike was the first to notice them when we pulled up in the truck. There was a woman draped over an I-beam, and some feet sticking out of the cement mixer. Another guy was inside the dozer bucket, still half on a bike. I didn’t see any blood, and couldn’t tell if they were alive or not. It was all I could do to get out of the truck and check them out, while the guys called the police. I only got a few feet when I saw another young lady come shuffling around the back, and making a groaning noise. I’ll be honest, it really freaked me out! I ran back to the truck, but the guys had locked the doors. Luckily she fell over before she got to me, otherwise there’s no telling what might have happened. When the cops explained that they had purposely drank urchin venom so they could film themselves playing around the construction site, I couldn’t believe it. I mean, we’ve all done stupid things, me included, but the venom doesn’t make you feel good or anything. If you’re going to do dumb stuff there better be a pay off. I’ve seen some stupid fads in my day, but lurchin has got to be the worst.”
