FORGET POT: PARENTS NEED TO WATCH FOR JIMSON WEED

3-Teen Overdose Latest In String Of Incidents

Police in Ontario's Niagara region are warning parents to speak with
their children about the dangers of trying jimson weed after three
teenagers ingested the poisonous plant and had to be rushed to hospital.

Police have not been able to speak with the three boys, age 14 to 17,
who remain in critical but stable condition, after arriving in a
Hamilton, Ont., hospital early Sunday, in "unresponsive and incoherent states."

Also known as Datura, thorn apple, stinkweed or angel's trumpet,
jimson weed is popular among teens for its easy access and has been
linked to at least two deaths and dozens of overdoses across Canada
in recent years.

"Its toxicity is such that even low amounts are very, very
dangerous," said Sgt. Steve Scriven of Niagara Regional Police. "It
is not something people get addicted to or even usually try more than
once because there is no pleasure in it."

A member of the nightshade family, it interferes with one of the main
neurotransmitters in the brain and can cause delirium,
hallucinations, seizures, respiratory problems and even death. Most
overdose cases are in the fall because that is when the seeds are
most easily accessible.