Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 22, 1993 TAG: 9310220056
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG LESMERISES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Seven youths have been treated at Lewis-Gale Hospital's emergency room in the past two weeks for jimson weed poisoning.
In the latest incident, two 17-year-old Salem boys were taken to the hospital Tuesday night and remained overnight for observation after eating seeds from the plant.
"The kids don't know what they're doing is a dangerous risk to them," said Salem Police Detective Sgt. Mike Fisher. "It's not something to play with or experiment with. The consequences are not fun."
Those consequences include short-term uncontrolled actions and possible long-term side effects.
Salem police have received three reports of jimson poisoning in the past six weeks, compared to only three others in the previous four years.
Fisher described the immediate effects on the youths he has encountered.
"It makes them somewhat incoherent," he said. "Their actions are somewhat bizarre and violent. It's hard to communicate with them because they don't understand what's going on."
Lauren Moran, a registered nurse at the Blue Ridge Poison Center, said other jimson poisoning signs include dry mouth, dilated pupils, hot, flushed skin, increased heart rate and blood pressure and urinary retention. The victims may also appear to be hallucinating.
"These symptoms can go on for days," she said.
Galdino Pranzarone, a psychology professor at Roanoke College, said jimson may also produce a loss of sleep and a loss of recent memory.
The drug "clouds rather than expands consciousness," he said. "Often, they can't remember the experience."
More seriously, jimson may induce seizures or a coma. The kidney and bladder functions may be seriously impaired from the urinary retention, Moran said.
The jimson weed is common in the area. It grows about 5 feet tall.
Fisher said he knows of no jimson in residential areas of Salem, but he's seen it in undeveloped areas, on farms and along roadways.
The recent run of incidents has community and school leaders concerned.
Salem High School Principal John Hall is concerned that the jimson weed may present more of a problem than controlled substances because of its availability.
"It adds an element we're not used to," Hall said. "I've never heard of this [problem] before."
The high school and Andrew Lewis Middle School are seeking more information on the plant to better inform students.
DARE officers at each school will utilize the state police and other agencies to learn about the plant and then pass the knowledge on to teachers and students.
"We want to take a responsible position," said Lewis Romano, director of student services for the Salem schools.
"Why does any child want to do this?" he asked. "It's because of what they hear. Nobody talks about that it's unprocessed stuff that has a major toxicity that can kill them.
"It's a very sad, sad situation. The tragic part of it is, the students don't understand the significance."
But Pranzarone said people - and even animals - will go to great lengths to try to achieve an altered state of consciousness.
"People have tried everything from banana peels to crack cocaine," Pranzarone said. "Even deer will eat fermented apples in an attempt to get drunk."
Jimson weed is an active botanical alkaloid, a classification that includes caffeine, nicotine, cocaine and heroin.
It has been "used and misused for centuries by professional and amateur poisoners," Pranzarone said.
Once used as a folk medicine and a cosmetic aid that produced the desired pupil dilation, jimson used to be sold in drugstores. That practice was discontinued because of the side effects.
by CNB