Getting High on Nutmeg

((photo from Daily Venture))
You have probably heard of kids getting high or trying to get high off of household products like fingernail polish and aerosols, but how about something from your spice rack? This is the first time I have heard of kids trying to get high from nutmeg. That is really disgusting. It is sad to think kids are really doing this. Here is part of a special report on this from NBC:

FROM NBC: You go to the grocery store and pick up some spices for your holiday baking. But little do you know, you may also be buying what some are using as a gateway drug to a life of addiction. "I felt like my head was going to explode." But what some say is exploding, the use of a cooking spice to get high. "It kinda gave me a woozy feeling."

This college student says she and four of her friends smoked the spice to catch a buzz. It's a spice found in just about everyone's kitchen, probably yours. harry: "How old were you when you did this?" "fifteen." She's older now and too embarrassed to show her face. But wants to warn you about this new found high kids now get from a very old spice. "We had a sleepover and we were trying to get marijuana."

But when they couldn't cope, they turned to the Internet and then, the kitchen cabinet. "We went on Google and looked up things to smoke that you can use like from your house. So then nutmeg came up and my friend was like, 'I have nutmeg.'" That's right. they found the answer online. Nutmeg, a simple natural spice. they say they turned an apple into a pipe.

"And then you smoke it. You light it and then you inhale through the apple." She says the effect is similar to smoking marijuana. "I'm doing my experience. I'm smoking some nutmeg." Numerous videos on YoutTube show teens turning a spice used mostly to flavor desserts into a dangerous drug. "Don't do this unless you want to get in trouble." or get seriously sick! Police say increased heart rate, blurred vision, and convulsions are just a few of many side effects from ingesting large amounts of nutmeg.

There is even video from the UK of kids drinking it to get high. "He just took it down straight." Jason Springate shot the video. In this Skype interview from his home in the UK, he describes the frightening effects nutmeg had on his friend. Jason Springate, Leeds, England: "His eyes just went very red. He got really really hot and he couldn't really talk for awhile."

Kathryn Jarvie, Drug Counselor:"If nutmeg seems popular right now, it's because it's legal. It's cheap." Police say there's no law against abusing a legal substance. But drug counselor Kathryn Jarvie says getting high with nutmeg can be just as dangerous as any narcotic. Harry: "Can this be a gateway drug? Kathryn Jarvie, Drug Counselor: "Absolutely." Jarvie warns parents not to get hung up on what kids are using, but instead... Kathryn Jarvie, Drug Counselor: "They should be more concerned about the fact that their kids seem hell bent on getting high with whatever is available." "The girl that I did it with, she just ended up trying more and more and her life is a mess now."

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Kids huffing household products

This is a scary topic. According to a CNN report, huffing is becoming more common than marijuana in teenage kids.

What exactly is huffing you ask? The National Drug Intelligence Agency describes it this way:

Abusers, primarily adolescents, inhale chemical vapors from a variety of substances, many of which are common household products. These young people abuse inhalants in order to obtain a euphoric effect and are often unaware of the potential risks, which include brain damage and death. Some adults also abuse inhalants, particularly nitrites. Adult abusers often inhale substances in order to enhance their sexual experiences.

Here's the CNN story:

A new study finds U.S. teens are turning more and more to common household items to get high. Inhalants are the drug of choice for adolescents 12 to 17 years old according to a new report by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The survey estimates about one million adolescent Americans use inhalants. 12 and 13 year olds use them more often than marijuana. Inhalants are liquids, sprays and gases that are sniffed or inhaled to get high. They include common household products like aerosol air fresheners, hair sprays, paint solvents, and nail polish. according to the study, glue, shoe polish,and spray paints were among the most commonly used by adolescents 12 to 15. Inhalants or "huffing" can cause severe damage to major organs even death.

How do you know if your child has been huffing? Dr. Greene's website says:

Inhalants gradually leave the body for 2 weeks following huffing--mostly through exhaling. The characteristic odor is the biggest clue. Be on the lookout for breath or clothing that smells like chemicals. Look for clothing stains. Watch for spots or sores around the mouth.

Start talking with your child about it now. Although huffing peaks between the ages of 12 and 15 years, it often starts "innocently" in children only 6 to 8 years old (Pediatrics, 1996;97:3).

Wow, There really is no way to get rid of all the household products kids could use. The list is just too long. Has anyone talked to their kids about this and if so, what did you say?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen