Dec. 03--DOVER -- It's possible the nutmeg in the kitchen cabinet is being used for more than just pumpkin pie and eggnog.
Some youths are trying to get high off the popular holiday spice.
The Not My Kid Foundation, an Arizona-based nonprofit organization dealing with substance abuse and other youth-age issues, was recently featured in news reports bringing the abuse of nutmeg to the attention of parents and the general public.
While no one from the foundation could be reached for comment, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration through the Department of Health and Human Services categorizes nutmeg as a psychoactive drug in a 1967 study listed in the FDA's Poisonous Plant database.
Inhaling or ingesting nutmeg in high doses can cause mild hallucinations and a marijuanalike high. Symptoms include malaise, headache, dry mouth, tachycardia or dizziness, or "full-blown hallucinogenic experiences like those caused by hashish or LSD," according to the study.
It seems the trend isn't widespread in New Hampshire -- at least Valarie Morgan, administrator of prevention with the state Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services, said it hasn't come across her desk.
But the general trend of youths attempting to get a high off common household items is not a new one, she said.
"Kids huff all kinds of ingredients," she said. "There are several things that can be used to produce a high and people are becoming extremely resourceful and creative. They're available and people aren't monitoring them at home."
Dover Youth to Youth Prevention Program Coordinator Dana Mitchell said he hasn't heard of teens abusing nutmeg either, but also said, "Unfortunately, it's not surprising.
"There's definitely a willingness among some youth to experiment; if they hear about something, to try it. There's a tendency for some youths to try and see how it works. They say, 'Someone told me if you do this then you can get high,' and sometimes it can be dangerous."
"(Nutmeg) wasn't designed to be a drug," Morgan said.
A simple Google Internet search of the word "nutmeg" yields multiple links about the spice being used to get high as a cheap and easy alternative to marijuana.
The nutmeg seed contains an essential oil that is often used in medicine such as cough syrups. Overconsumption has been shown to poison some small animals.
It can also take up to four or five hours for any effects to kick in, according to the FDA study.
Mitchell said the most important task is informing teens and preteens that even though it might be present in the household, it can be extremely dangerous to smoke or huff.
"The challenge is not just to inform kids of the substances, but what the side effects are," Mitchell said. "Making sure they understand those consequences and what that can do to their lives, and also building a sense of healthy caution. We also see this with prescription dugs. Someone will take them out of the home and not have any idea of what the consequences might be. They say, 'Let's see what happens. It's nutmeg. It's in eggnog. My mother cooks with it. How bad could it be?'"
While both Mitchell and Morgan said the hope is that something like smoking nutmeg won't become a widespread problem, Morgan said the goal is to always be "five steps ahead, always.
"I'm the administrator for prevention in the state and I don't know about nutmeg," she said.
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