Herbal spice blend, when smoked, could be deadly
SEATTLE - A local doctor says a 17-year-old could have died after taking a couple of puffs from an herbal spice blend that isn't supposed to be smoked.
"I saw my child in a hospital bed, in restraints, IVs, oxygen, doctors, nurses. Yeah, he wasn't doing so great," said Jhanna Parker.
Test for drugs and alcohol were all negative, but doctors say the teen told them he had smoked a bunch of herbs which, on the surface, look like something harmless from a kitchen spice rack. But the teen had a heart rate of 170 and falling blood pressure.
"Severe delusions, very spastic," said Dr. Joe Pellicer, an emergency room physician. "His muscles were in severe spasms. He may even have had a seizure. Certainly the combination of those can precede a serious event, possibly even death."
Pellicer says there have been 32 similar cases in Washington state linked to smoking similar products.
A friend of the 17-year-old bought the mix at Fire and Earth. The store clerk told KOMO News the product has been pulled due to possible hazards.
"The two young men who came in with my patient had apparently smoked the same stuff, the same amount. They were a little buzzed, but they were fine. So it's a crap shoot," Pellicer said.
The Internet says users of the herb won't flunk drug tests. But the manufacturer says the problem is misuse.
The herb's label states: "Intended to be used an aromatic potpourri only. Not designed or intended for human consumption."
But there are those who don't read fine print.
"I feel scared, I feel outraged," Parker said. "I think he thought because it was legal, he was going to be OK. And he thought it was safe."
The store where the herb mixture was purchased is no longer selling the product to the public.
The store sold one package to KOMO News for the purpose of reporting the story and another package to the Thurston County drug task force for investigative purposes.
Both KOMO News and the task force were required to sign statements acknowledging they understood the risks.
The store owner now says she will not sell the mixture to anyone - even if they are willing to sign the form.
"I saw my child in a hospital bed, in restraints, IVs, oxygen, doctors, nurses. Yeah, he wasn't doing so great," said Jhanna Parker.
Test for drugs and alcohol were all negative, but doctors say the teen told them he had smoked a bunch of herbs which, on the surface, look like something harmless from a kitchen spice rack. But the teen had a heart rate of 170 and falling blood pressure.
"Severe delusions, very spastic," said Dr. Joe Pellicer, an emergency room physician. "His muscles were in severe spasms. He may even have had a seizure. Certainly the combination of those can precede a serious event, possibly even death."
Pellicer says there have been 32 similar cases in Washington state linked to smoking similar products.
A friend of the 17-year-old bought the mix at Fire and Earth. The store clerk told KOMO News the product has been pulled due to possible hazards.
"The two young men who came in with my patient had apparently smoked the same stuff, the same amount. They were a little buzzed, but they were fine. So it's a crap shoot," Pellicer said.
The Internet says users of the herb won't flunk drug tests. But the manufacturer says the problem is misuse.
The herb's label states: "Intended to be used an aromatic potpourri only. Not designed or intended for human consumption."
But there are those who don't read fine print.
"I feel scared, I feel outraged," Parker said. "I think he thought because it was legal, he was going to be OK. And he thought it was safe."
The store where the herb mixture was purchased is no longer selling the product to the public.
The store sold one package to KOMO News for the purpose of reporting the story and another package to the Thurston County drug task force for investigative purposes.
Both KOMO News and the task force were required to sign statements acknowledging they understood the risks.
The store owner now says she will not sell the mixture to anyone - even if they are willing to sign the form.