History Main / AlienCatnip

** Inverted in a much later episode, "Mork and the Family Reunion", when Mindy accidentally eats [[AlienLunch an Orkan delicacy called flek]], and [[IntoxicationEnsues begins performing spontaneous gymnastics and acting, well, Mork-like]]. Later, Mindy's uncle eats some and HilarityEnsues.

* In a Creator/HenryKuttner story, robots are able to get drunk from an electricity overdose.

** In ComicBook/TheSandman, he celebrates meeting one of the Endless by sharing a box with [[ComicBook/NewGods Scott Free]] at the Watchtower.

* Eris, the alien CatGirl in ''LightNovel/CatPlanetCuties'', gets high off what else? Catnip! Though it makes her ([[GenkiGirl more]]) hyper instead of stoned.

* In the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', there's a specific, rare variety of ''cheese'' that's both intoxicating and addictive to halflings. Sale of this cheese is carefully regulated in the halfling nation.
* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'', orcs get drunk on lamp oil. Similarly, goblins get drunk on mushroom brew.

* Eris, the alien CatGirl in ''LightNovel/CatPlanetCuties'', gets high off what else? Catnip! Though it makes her ([[GenkiGirl more]]) hyper instead of stoned.

* In ''Manga/PlusSizedElf'', french fries are this for Elfuda, an... [[ALizardNamedLiz elf]] from another dimension who has developed an addiction to the deep-fried potato treats to the point of putting on more than a few extra pounds. Unfortunately, elves from her dimension are known for being lithe and graceful, meaning she has to find a way to shed that weight before she can go back. [[spoiler: Which she succeeds by the first chapter but decides to come back to eat fries. Her only grief was that she wanted to know how to lose weight to go through the dimension door (which work with weight sensor) so she can visit her family from time to time but she'll rather laze up in the human world than the frugal magic world.]]
* In ''LightNovel/SoImASpiderSoWhat'' Shiraori can get drunk on alcohol like normal humans, but a single cup of coffee is enough to render her insensate along with a clone which tried to filter it our of her system. Oddly it has to be caffeinated coffee; decaffeinated coffee has no effect nor does caffeine or any of the other individual ingredients.

** There's also Rygel, who, upon arriving on Earth, gets addicted to the sugar in Halloween candy.

* In the ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'', Time Lords [[NeverGetsDrunk are very hard to get drunk]]. Ginger pop, however, hits them hard. Shakespeare once spiked the Doctor's beer, and Hilarity Ensued. (Though unlike in the Series/MorkAndMindy example, it's the ginger that's an intoxicant, not the carbon dioxide.)

* In ''Literature/TheWitcher'' books at least greater vampires suck blood only to get drunk. There was even one abstainer -- being cut into a dozen pieces buried separately for a century or so after overindulgence can drive the lesson home quite well.
* ''Literature/CaptainFuture'':
** One of the characters has a pet called Eek who eats metals, preferring heavy ones. Large doses of silver or gold were shown to make him rather drunk.
** In one of the books, Otho (a shapeshifting android), disguised as a human, goes to investigate in a bar. First, he drinks a bottle of GargleBlaster without any visible effect, then he orders wine... laced with radium chloride. That one works.
* In the German SF novel ''Der Verbannte von Asyth'', Earth coffee turns out to work (and apparently smell and taste) remarkably like the alien drug "klukol", basically an alcohol equivalent, on the eponymous protagonist's species.
* In the ''Literature/StarCarrier'' series the Agletsch get drunk off of acetic acid (vinegar).
* In ''Literature/SpaceBeasts'', various Earth foodstuffs are dangerous to Extra Terrestrials and Magical Creatures. First of all [[IntelligentGerbil Intelligent Herons]] the Aves have extreme reactions whenever they eat strawberries; they don't get addicted, but for the male Aves they seem to have a similar effect as mixing ecstasy with Viagra. The male Aves get a painful long-lasting erection and also they get a fierce desire to hump anything they can get their hands on. Zander ends up assaulting his own wife in public after tasting a strawberry, and Revel rapes the Ant Girl Yin after she force-fed him some strawberry champagne; both felt extreme shame and embarrassment once they snapped out of it.
** As for [[TheFairFolk Magical Races]] (or more specifically their half human descendants), each species of Fae has its own drug: for Elves it's wasabi, for Fairies, peanut butter, for goblins, bananas. For half human/half Fae these addictions are extremely powerful. The only way to bring them 'back down to Earth' when they give in to their addiction is through physical pain--normally that means a spanking.
*** Some species of Humanimal (specifically prehistoric species like dinosaurs) can be extremely sensitive to modern foods. Rodan the Pteranodon Man finds that Chocolate has an effect on him similar to the effect that strawberries have on male Aves. He almost gets demoted when he rapes an enemy girl soldier.
* In the ''Literature/ConfederationOfValor'' series the alien Krai drink a beverage called "sah", which for them is the equivalent of a hot cup of tea. For humans, it's the equivalent of a [[KlatchianCoffee hot cup of PCP]] with [[ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin an amphetamine chaser]]. The law requires that anyone buying it be a Krai, and holds the Krai in question responsible if a human gets any.
* ''Literature/SholanAlliance'': Coffee and chocolate can have some ''interesting'' effects on Sholans. Turns out for them caffeine is an intoxicant instead of a stimulant like it is for humans.
* Played literally in Creator/AndreNorton's ''Literature/PlagueShip''. The protagonists are trying to trade with a CatFolk race for valuable gemstones. The problem is, the aliens are unwilling to sell the gems for regular goods... but once they get a sniff of catnip and valerian...
* In Creator/JoeHaldeman's "Literature/ATangledWeb1981", the !tang (who look like "perambulating haystack[s] with an elephant's trunk protruding") become intoxicated from eating sugar, and alcohol is like a psychedelic drug to them. On the [[InvertedTrope flip side]], "one bite of !tang bread contain[s] enough mescaline to make you see interesting things for hours"; one human fellow who eats some spends time "amusing them with impersonations of various Earth vegetables."
* In Stephen Hunt's Jackelian series of {{Steampunk}} novels, the MechanicalLifeforms called "steammen" can get high by burning ''magnesium'' in their coke-fueled boilers.
* In ''Literature/{{Unsong}}'' fallen angels are angels that have passed the DespairEventHorizon due to exposure to humanity's sins. Holy water lets them temporarily regain their heavenly nature and powers.
* One ''Literature/ManKzinWars'' short story featured a mixed human and Kzin crew surveying a distant planet and discovering a substance that causes the felinoid Kzin to act just like cats on ... catnip. HilarityEnsues. Followed by quarantine.
* In ''Wyjście z cienia'' by Creator/JanuszZajdel, the aliens came to Earth for the produce in the first place, but what made them stay is honey and livid pinkgill mushrooms, which are mildly poisonous to humans - upon ingesting them, the aliens start moving in a ''very'' wobbly way (one falls under a train). It's a hint to their true nature as [[spoiler: [[HiveMind sentient]] [[InsectoidAliens anthills]] ]].
* ''Literature/DrGretaHelsing'': Absinthe hits vampires ''far'' harder than humans -- although they're not as sensitive to the alcohol, trace amounts of hallucinogens that wouldn't affect a human at all can send a vampire into a life-threatening delirium.
* ''Literature/TheJenkinsverse'': Gaoians, like the vast majority of aliens, are immune to the intoxicating effects of alcohol. However, they can get the same symptoms after eating turkey meat.
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': Some mutant biology quirks can cause this. For example some exemplars, Like Toni, find chocolate intoxicating due to their hyperactive metabolism.
* At least one species in Keith Laumer's SF series ''Literature/{{Retief}}'' gets high on stale Pepsi. (Yes, explicitely Pepsi.)

* On an episode of ''Series/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch'', Sabrina becomes addicted to pancakes (part of an old Spellman family curse, of which there were many), and at one point gorges herself to the point of bloating. When she tries to go [[ColdTurkeysAreEverywhere cold turkey]], she experiences withdrawal symptoms, hallucinating that Salem is a pile of pancakes asking whether she is hungry, imagining that the school is putting on an elaborate musical number imploring her to eat pancakes, and dreaming that a giant syrup bottle tries to persuade her to come away to a haven for witches addicted to pancakes, where she can eat to her heart's content. It was a really weird episode.
** One of the suspected causes of the Salem Witch Trials was [[FridgeBrilliance ergot poisoning from spoiled rye bread]]
* A variation appeared in ''Series/SpaceAboveAndBeyond'', Cooper becomes addicted to a certain painkiller while being treated for injuries. The drug is no more addictive than any other painkiller to normal humans, but when used on [[ArtificialHumans In-Vitroes]] like Coop, the addiction rate is close to 82% for a single dose. He also meets an In-Vitroe prostitute addicted to the same drug, and Colonel [=McQueen=] is a recovered addict himself.

* In the short-lived sci-fi series ''Something Is Out There'', the female alien protagonist Ta'ra gets inebriated on caffeine.
* In ''Series/BabylonFive'', Minbari become [[AxeCrazy psychotic and violent]] if they drink even [[CantHoldHisLiquor a small amount of alcohol.]]
* One episode of ''Series/{{ALF}}'' has ALF becoming addicted to eating cotton, which has lots of weird side effects on him such as causing him to dance around wearing a bowler hat and holding a banana while singing showtunes.
* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'':
** In one episode, Zhaan, a [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe good looking, blue skinned]] [[{{Planimal}} plant-derived]] alien, spent almost the entire episode in an observation room sunbathing by the light of a star during a nova period. In something vaguely akin to photosynthesis, she was enjoying the high energy spikes of light ''[[FantasticArousal a lot]]''.
** There's also Rygel, who, upon arriving on Earth, gets addicted to the sugar in Halloween candy.
--->'''Rygel:''' Crichton, how illegal is this [[PardonMyKlingon dren]]? You have to get me more! I don't care what it costs!
* In ''Series/{{Torchwood}}: Children of Earth'', [[spoiler:the 456 use ''human children'' as a euphoric drug, incorporating the child into their physiology and getting high off the child's hormones.]]

* To the [[StarfishAliens Pyrians]] in ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' ammonium phosphate (fertilizer) is a highly addictive and deadly drug. One planet based their economy on smuggling it to them, when Captain Hunt found out that was why the Pyrian fleet was blowing up their freighters he stopped trying to help them.
* In ''Series/TrueBlood'', the blood of people with Faerie ancestry [[spoiler:like Sookie]] is intoxicating to vampires.
* The Gua in ''Series/FirstWave'' can easily get addicted to ''table salt'', although their High Command frowns on such weakness and orders the addicts killed. This was discovered by accident when Foster was interrogating a wounded Gua and poured salt on the open wound. The result was a seriously stoned Gua. Given the Gua mastery of genetic engineering, it's strange they don't remove this weakness from their hybrid husks.

* ''Series/TheGoodPlace'' has "Janets", afterlife personal assistants that can answer almost any question and create almost anything requested. Being exposed to magnets make them drunk, and they get a hangover after the fact.

* In the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', there's a specific, rare variety of ''cheese'' that's both intoxicating and addictive to halflings. Sale of this cheese is carefully regulated in the halfling nation.

* [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Kayle]] in ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' gets what can only be described as a massive sugar high after encountering a magical disease within the Institute of War. The disease normally breaks down the infected person's organs at a cellular level. BizarreAlienBiology is [[DiscussedTrope offered as the reason]].
* ''VideoGame/DeepRockGalactic'' inverts this. The invading Dwarves that are the player characters are healed by Red Sugar, a mineral that naturally occurs within Hoxxes 4, and remark it's highly addictive.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', chocolate is an addictive narcotic to the drow, with effects not unlike cannabis. There's an underground trade for low quality ones at the local WizardingSchool, and [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7058 high concentration doses]] are imported from the surface world used by the rich. The Ill'haress of the [[KnightTemplar Kyorl'solenurn clan]] is [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9369 mentioned]] to have a weakness for it that's called an endearing vice [[spoiler:at her funeral]].
* In ''Webcomic/TheLydianOption'', bizarre alien fruit is highly addictive to humans - causing them to focus on obsessively eating it [[http://www.meetmyminion.com/?p=964 to the exclusion of anything else]]. The reference to faerie food may or may not be intentional.

* It seems that robots in the ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'' universe - or at least Pintsize - [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=463# get stoned on WD-40]].
** Later we see an herbal tea that makes robots, or at least ones with military-grade olfactory sensors, [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3147 see unicorns]].
* ''Webcomic/QuentynQuinnSpaceRanger'' introduces a species that has some, [[http://www.rhjunior.com/QQSR/00057.html unusual]] reactions to ginseng.

* In ''Webcomic/OutOfPlacers'', Oysters and clams are that for yinglets. Even simply swallowing raw clam immediately produces a euphoric sensation.

* PlayedForHorror in AudioPlay/AlienAbductionRolePlay. Acktreal Domma feels a strong, irrational desire to eat her human test subjects, even after her HeelFaceTurn. It's later revealed that human blood has an intoxicating, even addictive, effect on her species.

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[[quoteright:296:[[Film/AlienNation https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sour_milk_high.png]]]]

* Each species in ''ComicBook/ElfQuest'' responds differently to dreamberries and the wine made from them. Humans get sick. Trolls and preservers just get drunk. Elves mostly get drunk too - and can become the equivalent of alcoholics - but if they drink enough, it can act as a mild hallucinogen, and unlike alcohol, drinking it regularly actually ''improves'' an elf's memory. Thus the biggest drunk in the tribe is also the "Howlkeeper" (storyteller and historian).

* ''Fanfic/{{Luminosity}}'' has vampires be this way about human blood, to the point that [[AlternateUniverse rational]]!Bella points out that this is a benefit to going [[VegetarianVampire vegetarian]] -- the stints where you can't be drinking are much easier.
* [[Webcomic/TheHeroOfThreeFaces Paul Gadzikowski's fanfiction comic strips]] suggest that both [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Kryptonians]] and [[Series/DoctorWho Time Lords]] [[http://members.iglou.com/scarfman/69082714.htm get drunk on milk]].
* ''[[Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow Rocky Horror]]'' fanfic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6927547/2/Seducing-Mother-Earth Seducing Mother Earth]]'' has Riff Raff and Magenta experience the horrors of chocolate addiction.

* In ''Fanfic/SonicXDarkChaos'', fertilizer is revealed to be the equivalent of cocaine and steroids combined for Cosmo's race.

* In ''Fanfic/OversaturatedWorld'', the primary intoxicant for Equestrian ponies is salt, rather than alcohol. [[GeniusBonus Apparently, the equine nervous system is really sensitive to extra sodium ions]].

* In ''Film/AmandaAndTheAlien'', the titular alien discovers that for him/her/it, paprika is a powerful aphrodisiac.
* A deleted scene from ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossThe8thDimension'' establishes that the Red Lectroids get a narcotic effect from sucking on dry cell batteries.
* In the Creator/BudSpencer movie ''Aladdin'' the genie loses his powers during nighttime. After a group of government officials decide to dissect him suspecting him to be an alien, they find out that anesthetic only makes him giggle. After he asks for something to drink, it turns out a can of cola knocks him right out.
* ''Film/HighPlainsInvaders'': Not exactly harmless to humans, but Jules works out that the Bugs can become intoxicated by ingesting refined uranium.

* Creator/AlanDeanFoster's Literature/HumanxCommonwealth regularly references this trope as a consequence of {{Playing With}} NoBiochemicalBarriers. The majority of species can breathe the same atmospheres and eat the same food, they just don't always find it comfortable. It's the little things that get them -- for example, the racoon-like Tolian race is unaffected by alcohol, and instead gets smashed on the lymphatic fluids of certain animals. One that drives drug cops of all races into conniptions is that just about every race has something as part of their essential diet that some other race considers high-value drugs.
* Creator/HarryTurtledove's ''Literature/{{Worldwar}}'' series has ordinary ginger acting close to cocaine for males of the reptilian Race, but it's the way it puts females into completely unscheduled heat that creates some interesting complications, like introducing [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove the concepts of romantic love, marriage]], TheOldestProfession, and [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil rape]] (of the "slipping a mickey" kind) to a race of beings that finds humanity's constant sex drive repulsive. Humanity, of course, is more than happy to feed the crippling addictions of the alien invaders, with various human governments backing drug smugglers and the Soviet Union even weaponizing powdered ginger.
* In Frank and Brian Herbert's novel ''Man of Two Worlds'', ordinary basil acts as a powerful psychoactive for the Dreens, {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s who created most of the universe with their thoughts. They call it Bazeel.

* In the ''Literature/YoungWizards'' series, chocolate has a variety of effects on different alien species; it acts as a drug for some, but others just like how it tastes. It's also why [=UFOs=] really visit Earth. Carmela [[spoiler: forces an entire battalion of aliens to back down by threatening a wrapped chocolate bar]] in the eighth book.

* In ''Literature/TheCompanyNovels'', chocolate (referred to as [[ExpospeakGag Theobromos]]) is the only thing that can intoxicate the time-traveling operatives, and thus you get things like one character having a "dealer" in premium chocolate.

* In ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', candy has a much stronger effect on dryads than on humans. One of the prologues even has Belgarath having to be ''very'' careful to avoid getting Ce'Nedra's ultimate great-grandmother hopelessly addicted to chocolate (he doesn't mind her being addicted to it, mind you -- he just needs her able to function without it).
* In the Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse, Time Lords [[NeverGetsDrunk are very hard to get drunk]]. Ginger pop, however, hits them hard. Shakespeare once spiked the Doctor's beer, and Hilarity Ensued. (Though unlike in the Series/MorkAndMindy example, it's the ginger that's an intoxicant, not the carbon dioxide.)

* In a Creator/HenryKuttner story, robots are able to get drunk from an electricity overdose.
* ''Literature/TheStainlessSteelRat'' series. Here too robots are able to get drunk on electricity.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''Literature/KidStuff'': The elf mocks Jan Prentiss for trying to ply it with alcohol because drink doesn't affect elves the way it does humans. Literal catnip (with honey), however, is implied to have a similar inebriating effect.
* The dinosaur protagonists of ''Literature/AnonymousRex'' use various spices as potent drugs.
* The most common illegal drug for ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' trolls is Slab, ammonium chloride cut with radium. There are plenty of others, as well.
** Lower on the harmful/addiction scale, molten sulfur seems to be the troll equivalent to beer. Even some human bars serve it, though it needs to be handled with heavy gloves and poured in an insulated mug.
** Similarly, many Discworld vampires [[TropaholicsAnonymous attend support groups]] to help them give up drinking blood.

* Butterbeer, in the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' novels, while mild to wizards, is depicted as being quite intoxicating to house-elves.
** It's debatable just how "soft" butterbeer actually is. The simplest explanation is that it is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_beer#Small_beer a mildly alcoholic malt beverage]]: not enough alcohol to have a major effect on even a very young (Harry has his first nip at 14, and the stuff doesn't seem to be age-restricted like firewhisky) human, but if a house elf (roughly half the size of even an adolescent human) rips through a six-pack in under an hour, well.... We should note that historical [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfTudor Tudor-era England]] [[AluminumChristmasTrees had a drink called butterbeer]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Jgq-VQE-o made of butter, eggs, sugar, nutmeg, and ale]]; it's not ''terribly'' alcoholic--since it involves diluting beer, and if you use a weaker English brew like session ale (beer in the 16th century would've been weaker, as it was the safe alternative to drinking water and the English hadn't gotten ahold of tea yet)--but still enough you could get drunk after a few pints. [[http://recipewise.co.uk/buttered-beere-1588 Here's one of numerous recipes.]]
* In the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' novels, the otherwise carnivorous treecats find celery irresistible. In fact, it was their pilfering of human celery that led to the first human-treecat encounter. Turns out it that the genetically modified celery grown on Spinx actually enhances treecat telepathy, although they find the taste of all types of celery irresistible.
** Note, however, that the treecats don't actually have the enzymes to digest cellulose, so eating too much celery can be rather bad for them.
* In Creator/MercedesLackey's urban fantasy novels, caffeine is an instantly addictive drug for elves.

Subtrope of DrunkOnMilk. Compare FantasticDrug and SpiceOfLife. See also KlingonsLoveShakespeare, ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin and MarsWantsChocolate. Compare and contrast NoBiochemicalBarriers. SisterTrope to AIGettingHigh. If it's not intoxicating, just really tasty, see AliensLoveHumanFood. See FarOutForeignersFavoriteFood.

* Creator/AlanDeanFoster's Literature/HumanxCommonwealth is littered with strokes of genius, and Alien Catnip is regularly referenced as a consequence of {{Playing With}} NoBiochemicalBarriers -- the majority of species can breathe the same atmospheres and eat the same food, they just don't always find it comfortable. It's the little things that get them -- for example, the racoon-like Tolian race is unaffected by alcohol, and instead gets smashed on the lymphatic fluids of certain animals. One that drives drug cops of all races into conniptions is that just about every race has something as part of their essential diet that some other race considers high-value drugs.

** Ax seems to develop a near addiction to anything related to taste, as his species normally have no sense of taste. Some of the things he enjoys gorging himself with include: cinnamon buns, chili, engine oil and cigarette butts. The human race ends up exchanging doughnuts for [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum alien technology]].

* Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/KidStuff": The elf mocks Jan Prentiss for trying to ply it with alcohol because drink doesn't affect elves the way it does humans. Literal catnip (with honey), however, is implied to have a similar inebriating effect.

** Another character, who had started training at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Academy, became salt addicted when Tionne Solusar made her famous pot roast for dinner. Two days later, all the salt in the Academy was ''gone,'' and the gold-eyed Arcona was kicked out.

* In the novelization of ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'' it's revealed that sucrose causes Vulcans to become drunk after Kirk gives Spock a chocolate mint, which clouded his judgment and caused him to go for a swim with the whales.

* The ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' fic ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/338269?view_adult=true Complimentary]] turns Terezi's canon SuperSenses [[note]]She has a biological condition that means she can smell and taste colours, such as the trolls' variously coloured blood[[/note]] up. It results in this.

* In the ''Forgotten Realms'', there's a specific, rare variety of ''cheese'' that's both intoxicating and addictive to halflings. Sale of this cheese is carefully regulated in the halfling nation.

* In the ''Literature/ConfederationOfValor'' series the alien Krai drink a beverage called "sah", which for them is the equivalent of a [[SpotOfTea hot cup of tea]]. For humans, it's the equivalent of a [[KlatchianCoffee hot cup of PCP]] with [[ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin an amphetamine chaser]]. The law requires that anyone buying it be a Krai, and holds the Krai in question responsible if a human gets any.

* The ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' fic ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/338269?view_adult=true Complimentary]] turns Terezi's canon SuperSenses [[note]]She has a biological condition that means she can smell and taste colours, such as the trolls' variously coloured blood[[/note]] UpToEleven. It results in this.

[[/folder]]

* Orange soda in ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}} causes animals to act like they are drunk. King, who is a very grumpy human unwillingly trapped in the body of a dog, goes wild and starts flirting with female dogs while on soda.