SALE OF HERB STIRS PARENTS TO ACTION

Even though it's legal and can be sold to anyone of any age, a downtown
shop owner says "as of right now" he is no longer selling an herb which,
when smoked, causes intense hallucinations.

For months, Tony Theos, manager of the Silver Daisy tattoo parlour on
Brunel Road, had been selling packets of salvia divinorum.

Sometimes known as Divine Mexican Mint, or Diviner's Sage, the herb has
been used for centuries as a hallucinogen. But when Huntsville teenagers
started buying the herb and smoking it, some parents decided to put their
feet down.

One recent Saturday night, a 14-year-old Huntsville boy raised a pipe to
his mouth and inhaled deeply. Within moments, he began hallucinating. He
was smoking a teaspoon-size, $40 hit of salvia divinorum purchased at the
Silver Daisy.

While police have no recourse, the parents of the 14-year-old boy, who
contacted The Forester, hope by spreading the word about salvia, they can
steer other teenagers clear of giving it a try.

"Our family doctor had not heard anything about [salvia]. He made some
calls about it and thought it was something that had slipped through the
cracks of our medical regulations," said the mother of the 14-year-old. She
and her husband did not want to be identified in order to protect the
identity of their son.

While Theos told the Forester "as of right now, I am not selling salvia
anymore," it can still be bought over the Internet and via magazines. Theos
said recent media attention about the herb only served to increase the
number of people wanting to try it.

What bothers the parents of the 14-year-old the most is that the herb was
being sold to minors, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

"Originally our goal was to get the stuff off the streets. We were hoping
for a ban or an age limit being put on it, but we realize that is going to
take a long time," said the boy's mother.

They said their son heard about salvia at school, and that it had become
popular for many teens to try at least once.

Scared after having a bad experience, the boy confided in his parents. He
said after smoking the herb, his mind drifted away "to a different land"
where "little people would not let him leave."

While the boy's parents realize that there is nothing illegal about
salvia's sale, they question why anyone knowing its potential would sell
it, especially to young people.

"If you are younger, you don't always have the faculties to make the right
decisions about these things," said the boy's father.

His mother said, "What's worse is [the store] selling it like you would
sell bubble gum." When asked about this, Theos refused to make any further
comment for the record.

The easy availability of salvia is a concern, said the boy's mother. Unlike
smoking salvia, she said teenagers who drink alcohol or smoke pot still
have the hurdles of illegality and access to overcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice's National Drug Intelligence
Centre, abuse of salvia can cause intense and debilitating hallucinations.
Even smoking small quantities (one-quarter gram) can affect perception and
senses. These effects can result in abusers harming themselves and others.

Salvia has become a phenomenon in the past eight years, with a lot of its
popularity due to information easily available on the Internet.

Health Canada reports that it is monitoring the herb; so is the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Agency. Currently it's legal to import because it's an
'unscheduled' substance under Canadian law.

The sale of the herb has been banned in Australia. The substance, which
looks like green tea, is largely imported from Mexico.

According to the Natural Medicines Database, Diviner's Sage was used for
centuries by the Mazatec Indians, a native people who live in Oaxaca,
Mexico. While it may serve spiritual purposes for some, the legal sale of
the product in Canada could hit a dead end soon under new National Health
Product Regulations.

Brought into force in 2004 by Health Canada, the regulations place
requirements on people who manufacture, package, label, import or
distribute natural health products. The law is intended to regulate
substances that are safe for over-the-counter use. Manufacturers and
importers have six years to secure their licensing.

"During that six-year period, every single product on the market, all the
herbs, have go through a re-application to be sold in Canada," said Dr.
Heather Boon, assistant professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of
Pharmacy.

"The only way [salvia] would be allowed on the market in future, under
these new regulations, would be if it had a medicinal use. Honestly, this
stuff does not seem to have a medicinal use."

Because there are 50,000 herbal and other natural products on the market,
Boon, a graduate of Huntsville High School, said, it is taking time for
Health Canada to work through the process.

"That's probably why [salvia] has not been caught yet. I don't know if it
would even be allowed to be on the market," she said.

Even prior to a licensing review, Health Canada will act if concerns are
reported about products.

"Should evidence arise that there is an abuse problem or significant risk
to health and safety, then the department investigates and takes whatever
action is necessary," said Health Canada media spokesperson Nathalie Lalonde.

She said she could not report if an application for licensing had been
forwarded for salvia, and even if one had, she could not discuss it while
under review. But if salvia is going to sold in Canada, it will be reviewed
for"safety, ethics and quality," said Lalonde.

She added that anyone with a complaint about salvia, or any other natural
health product, can report it to Canada's Regional Inspectorates at
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpfb-dgpsa/inspectorate/contact us_e.html