Drugs and Yeerks

[Tim Bruening]

How are Yeerks affected by such drugs as cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, and pot?

[RYTX]

Interesting query.
Edriss, early in her exploration of Earth, took on one Jenny-Lynne Cadwalader aka Jenny Lines, as a host, a young lady fond of mood altering chemicals (based on the lines name, probably coke, but they mention there was a few). Edriss kept her on drugs to keep her non-resistive, but so far as we know it doesn't negatively effect the Yeerk (V1 stayed on target at least).

I don't know if we ever see any Yeerks expressly on drugs. There's a couple high people in the series (#27 at least), but if they are controllers or not I don't know.

But at least some like cookies, and oreos are supposed to be more addictive than crack (least in rats)

[Snakie]

I agree with this, but seeing as all the Yeerk does is control the brain, not replace it, shouldn't their control over its functions be hindered in the presence of alcohol, even if their own thought processes aren't?

[Red]

I imagine it like it was in The Faculty.. when Zeke's white-powder-whatever-it-was dehydrated the aliens to death! Come to think of it, The Faculty was very yeerkish.

[Shenmue654]

That whole situation is interesting.

From a purely commonsense perspective, and the perspective of someone with another Self, any physiological change that affects the brain should alter the mood of the other person on or inside it. Drugs alter perception as well as intoxicate the user, and the attached Yeerk should experience this.

Yet this did not appear to happen in the book series on the scant evidence we have....suggesting that the Applegates know little about that sort of thing. Of course, it may be deliberate perception filtering on the part of the Yeerk.

[Chad32]

I would expect it to have some effect on the Yeerk, being neurologically linked with the host. We can be sure there would be some long term mental effects, since it's shown that host mentality does effect Yeerks. Hork-Bajir controllers are shown as kind of dumb, Taxxon controllers can be as violent as unhosted Taxxons, Human controllers can be more emotional, and we know Visser Three is bat**** insane. If a Yeerk spent its life with a drug addled host, it would be effected one way or another.

[Snakie]

I would expect it to have some effect on the Yeerk, being neurologically linked with the host. We can be sure there would be some long term mental effects, since it's shown that host mentality does effect Yeerks. Hork-Bajir controllers are shown as kind of dumb, Taxxon controllers can be as violent as unhosted Taxxons, Human controllers can be more emotional, and we know Visser Three is bat**** insane. If a Yeerk spent its life with a drug addled host, it would be effected one way or another.

I don't think the host makes a yeerk dumber.  Taxxon hunger is described as being so strong that even a yeerk can't overcome it, but there's nothing similar with Hork Bajir.

I always thought Hork Bajir controllers seen in the books frequently tended to be dumb simply because many of the Hork Bajir the Animorphs see are rent-a-cop type security personnel.

Most of the Council of Thirteen are Hork Bajir controllers, and we have narrated segments from both Vissers One and Three while they are in Hork Bajir and their intelligence didn't appear to be impacted.  Furthermore, in The Predator a very articulate and intelligent sounding Hork Bajir under Visser One's command gives them instructions for how to escape the ship.

[Tim Bruening]

#17: The Underground: Many Yeerks are addicted to Instant Maple-Ginger Oatmeal.

[SmartGirl333]

My head canon is that they r half affected compared to the host so if a controller stoner ws(i got these terms from reddit, gtfo my back) at a 10, the yeerk would be at a 5

[SmartGirl333]

Fu IVE NEVER TOUCHED ANY DrGS I.JUST FOR SOME REASON LIKE /r/treecomics IM WEIRD

[SmartGirl333]

actually,it depends on the druG sorry 4 TRiplepost

[redtailedsaffa]

Are you SURE you're not on drugs?

To the point, it probably depends on the substance, like how being drunk affects different people differently. The Yeerk in Visser was not significantly affected by coke, while instant maple and ginger oatmeal knocked them solid. All to do with the Yeerk physiology and target region of the drug (hah, I still remember 12th grade chemistry).

[SmartGirl333]

Are you SURE you're not on drugs?

my fkn kinedl wont let me stay lowercase