Laura Thornton, a 32-year-old Irish massage therapist and former tennis/squash player from Salthill, Galway, died on 2 January 2010 in Cameroon after consuming iboga root as part of a traditional initiation ceremony. An inquest was later held in Ireland.
Thornton had travelled to Cameroon to take part in a traditional Bwiti-style initiation ceremony involving iboga. She fell ill and died on 2 January 2010. The Irish inquest into her death heard evidence about the traditional use of iboga in central Africa as a stimulant.
Investigation & Causality
Substance Reported
Iboga (plant root, holy wood)
Exposure Context
Retreat ceremony
Official Manner / Classification
Reported at Irish coroner's inquest
Ibogaine Causality
Alleged
Investigation Authority
Coroner's inquest (Ireland)
Investigation Outcome
An inquest was held in Ireland into her death; the inquest heard that the iboga plant is used as a traditional stimulant in central Africa. No criminal proceedings were associated with this case.
Case Details
Location
Cameroon
Name
Laura Thornton
Age
32
Sex
Female
Nationality
Irish
Cause of Death (as first reported)
Died after consuming iboga root as part of an initiation ceremony
Sources
Coroner's reportMay 29, 2020
Plant killed therapistIrish Examiner
“Laura Thornton, 32, from Salthill in Galway, died after eating the plant, iboga, as part of an initiation ceremony on January 2, 2010. The inquest was told the rainforest shrub was used every day in central Africa as a stimulant.”