Those people who smoke salvia know that this substance is a hit or miss proposition. In the past, people smoking salvia were usually considered to be shamans, seers, or spiritists and were generally only found in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Yet as is the case with so many drugs, smoking salvia became known in the western world, and before long there were those who would look for information on how to smoke salvia either in a misguided attempt to further their own spirituality or simply because they saw a person smoking salvia in a picture or other ancient depiction and have since decided to give it a try themselves.

It is generally held that the best way to smoke salvia is with a water pipe. Pictures of shamans smoking salvia show that they use primitive bongs that are heavily ornamented and used for specific rites during which salvia smoking was an integral part. Since the plant itself is low in the psychotropic substance and the effects of smoking untreated salvia are considered to be negligible, modern users who are smoking salvia will do so by purchasing specially treated tinctures that contain concentrates from an illegal salvia smoke shop which is usually found either on the Internet or by word of mouth.

The sudden potency that those smoking salvia experience make this drug dangerous enough to call for the use of a trip sitter, which is little more than an individual who will not be smoking salvia but instead maintain sober with the person who is taking the psychotropic trip. The goal of this exercise is to alleviate the symptoms smoking salvia which may include psychedelic visions of extreme closeness as well as sudden panic attacks brought on by confusion associated with smoking salvia. While the salvia smoke emitted into the air is not said to have an effect on the trip sitter, the individual needs to take great care to be vigilant, since some smokers of the substance have attempted to hurl themselves out of windows in an effort to soar with the birds. If the trip sitter is not physically able to subdue the smoker, the person may harm not only themselves but also the sitter; thus, the presence of the latter may be a bit of false security. As a matter of fact, considering that the use of this substance is indicated for the spiritual furtherance for some, the very presence of a trip sitter is considered non-essential, thus furthering the potentially deadly effects of this drug.