SEATTLE: Public health officials in Washington say they’re increasingly concerned about children accidentally ingesting marijuana.
The Washington Poison Center says that in the first half of this year, it received 32 calls about children suffering from marijuana exposure – an increase from 24 in the same period in 2014. The center received 31 calls involving teenagers in the first half of this year, up from 24 in the same period last year.
But the center’s Dr. Alexander Garrard says that doesn’t necessarily mean more kids are actually being exposed to pot. The center has been doing more to promote its hotline, and some producers of marijuana edibles have even put the number on their packaging. So the increased calls could simply reflect a rise in awareness of the poison center, or people could simply feel more comfortable calling for help now that marijuana’s been legal for a while.
Nevertheless, public health officials find the increasing number of reported cases troubling. They say the products should be kept locked up or out of reach of children.
“Edible marijuana poisoning is an emerging health risk to children in our community that demands attention,” Dr. Jeff Duchin, of Public Health-Seattle & King County, said in a news release.
“Edible marijuana consumers, sellers and health care providers should all take steps to prevent children from getting access to these products.”
The poison center said it received 133 total calls about marijuana exposures in the first half of this year, an increase of 22 percent over the 109 reports in the first half of last year. That includes cases involving adults.
About two-thirds of the cases reported this year were classified as having minor or no effects on the people who consumed the marijuana – “symptoms that are considered minimally bothersome to patients,” the center said. Some 26 percent of the cases were classified as having a moderate or major effect. -AP
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