Andrew Sullivan notes this bit of news from the Netherlands:

The Dutch cabinet has proposed a ban on the sale of all hallucinogenic “magic” mushrooms because they could induce life-threatening behaviour. A bill will now pass to the Dutch parliament, where a majority of lawmakers are expected to back a ban after a teenage French girl who had eaten mushrooms died jumping from a bridge in 2007.

That is, of course, tragic, but I’m not sure why the answer is a ban, as opposed to more stringent enforcement of age restrictions; nor is it clear to me that this sort of awful occurrence is more likely with mushrooms than, say, alcohol.

On the other hand, I can testify that mushrooms may prompt stupid, risky behavior. I took a trip there (uh, a vacation, that is) some years back and figured I may as well give them a shot where they were legal. I then got the bright idea to go play some blackjack at the Holland Casino. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to cash in my chips when the pips on the cards began floating about.  I left $50 up, but would not, in general, recommend them as a performance enhancer for gambling. Or, really, almost anything else.