What Is Spanish Fly, Exactly?
Spanish fly is a common insecticide used in many countries around the world. It is sold under various brand names such as Nixa, Deltapine, and others. The chemical name of Spanish fly is pyrethrin. Pyrethroids are commonly known as pyrethroids because they are similar to fire or flame retardants. They have been used since ancient times to kill insects and other pests. Some of them are:
Chloropicrin (Deltapine)
Pyriproxyfen (Nixa)
Pyrethrins (Safrole)
The main purpose of using these chemicals is to kill insects without harming humans. However, there are some side effects that may occur when using pyrethroids on human beings. These include allergic reactions, skin irritation, eye damage, respiratory problems and even death. There are no long term studies done on the health effects of using pyrethroids on humans.
In the United States it is illegal to use pyrethroids in any form on humans without a prescription from your doctor. In Europe it is legal to use them but not recommended due to possible adverse effects. In Spain however, it is perfectly legal to use them on human beings with no restrictions whatsoever!
There are no restrictions on the sale of any brand of Spanish fly in the country. There are no age restrictions on who can buy it. There are no restrictions on how it can be marketed or promoted. Most brands of Spanish fly that you see in adult stores are imported from Spain.
It is sold as a “natural supplement” to increase sexual potency in men and to improve a woman’s libido.
The manufacturers of these products make outrageous claims about their abilities to improve sexual performance. In reality they contain the same chemical that is used as an insecticide, just at much lower concentrations so that it doesn’t kill you instantly, but can still make you sick. Just a few drops of pure pyrethrin can cause vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory problems, and nose bleeds.
If ingested in large enough quantities it can be deadly. It can also cause permanent vision problems if it gets in your eyes. Skin irritation and allergic reactions are also common. If you know someone who has consumed Spanish fly, take them to the emergency room immediately.
Most of these products are sold as “dietary supplements” and do not require approval from the FDA. The manufacturers of these products are not required to prove that they are safe or effective before putting them on the market.
If you are caught selling these types of products labeled as an “aphrodisiac” or a food product (such as capsules) you can face jail time. Instead, they get around these restrictions by labeling the products “aromatic oils”, “perfumes”, or “musical instruments”. In this way they can sell these products without any restrictions or legal ramifications.
If you are caught selling or advertising these products as an aphrodisiac, you can face a large fine and possibly jail time. Due to the bad publicity that resulted when people started getting sick or dying from these products, in 2007 the government threatened to outlaw these types of products altogether. Due to heavy lobbying, instead they were forced to create a regulatory system that would allow these types of dietary supplements to continue to be sold if they followed certain rules.
The regulations require that the FDA must be notified before the product is manufactured and cannot take legal action against them if they are in compliance with the following rules:
1) The product must contain a “functional food” ingredient.
This means the product cannot guarantee any effect on your body, but rather can only affect one or several functions of your body. This allows them to market the fact that it increases sexual desire without necessarily proving that it does.
2) The manufacturer must provide evidence from either scientific studies or traditional use that what is listed on the label is indeed accurate.
If a product fails to follow even one of these rules it can be subject to legal action. So far no manufacturer has ever followed these rules from the beginning, so none have been able to stay in business. The only reason why these rules were created was due to massive pressure from lobbyists and big businesses involved in selling these types of products.
There is a loophole in the system, however. These rules only apply to products that are meant to be ingested. There are several lotions and oils on the market that are supposed to be applied to your skin, such as perfumes and moisturizers.
This allows them to market their product as an aromatic oil, or perfume, or music instrument polish without falling under the category of “dietary supplement”. I’m sure you can see where I am going with this…
As the majority owner of the company that manufactures these products, there is going to be a new ingredient added to the next batch. There is no need to include it in the list on the label, because it isn’t meant to be ingested, just applied topically.
The new ingredient?
Well, let’s just say that it has been known to cause a strong feeling of euphoria when consumed in large quantities. It seems that there is a very small amount naturally occuring in the rice used to make the product, but the manufacturers have found a way to greatly increase this.
This batch is going to be worth a lot more than the cheap packaging would imply. Enough to make the risk of selling it without listing the new ingredient on the label worth it, at least until they change the law again… but that might not happen for awhile.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of this product, it is going to have to be sold illegally. I know that I hired most of the people in this building, but I’m sure that I can trust all of you to keep this to yourself. If word gets around about what this product really is, then the entire batch would be at risk of being seized by the government.
I’m sorry to put this all on you, but I really want the company to be a success. I have poured more than enough money into research and development to know that we can make a lot of money with this product line. I’m confident that it won’t be long before we can hire another twenty employees at least!
Just remember that it is absolutely crucial that this information remains confidential. The last thing any of us need is a scandal right now…
Don’t worry, I double checked the legal risks before making this decision.
This is just like my brother to ruin a potentially lucrative business venture with his stupid morals. I’m sorry I doubted you at first, but I am determined more than ever to make our company a success.
I’ve made the decision to market our new Vamperline Beauty products as an aromatherapy oil with holistic healing properties rather than a dietary supplement.
Sources & references used in this article:
Over-the-Counter Insects by M Berenbaum – American Entomologist, 1993 – academic.oup.com
Natural aphrodisiacs by R Shamloul – The journal of sexual medicine, 2010 – Elsevier
Creationist Hit or Myth by M Berenbaum – American Entomologist, 2013 – academic.oup.com
Alkali activated fly ash: effect of admixtures on paste rheology by M Criado, A Palomo, A Fernández-Jiménez… – Rheologica Acta, 2009 – Springer
Synthesis of the first fluorinated cantharidin analogues by M Essers, B Wibbeling, G Haufe – Tetrahedron Letters, 2001 – Elsevier
From Latin to Spanish: Historical phonology and morphology of the Spanish language by PM Lloyd – 1987 – books.google.com
Spanish phonology by JW Harris – 1967 – dspace.mit.edu
