Webmash | July 20, 2009 | 14 comments

Boy, 14, Overdoses on Nicorette Gum Given to Him By School

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1200918/Boy-14-collapses-overdosing-nicotine-chewing...

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A 14 year-old boy collapsed after chewing 45 sticks of Nicorette gum in 24 minutes. The gum was handed out by counsellors at his school. 45 sticks is the equivalent of 180 Marlboro Light cigarettes. He was rushed to the hospital with stomach pains after he collapsed in the playground.

The boy's mother is furious with the school, Menzies High School Science College in West Bromwich, which allows students as young as 12 to get up to a week's supply of the gum without parental consent.

His mother said: ‘I couldn’t believe that this gum can be given out like this without parents knowing. t is then being passed around the playground. The doctors said that he could have died and he had to be kept in for 24 hours for observation. I know what my son did was stupid, but if anything it proves that these kids can’t be given responsibility for taking medication that could do serious harm.’

Paul Harris, deputy head at Menzies School, said: ‘We have older teens in school who have issues with smoking and work directly with Decca, which offers support. This is low-strength nicotine gum and there is nothing stopping youngsters from the age of 12 buying it over the counter. Decca does not have to inform pupils’ parents about this.’

Should schools be handing out nicotine gum to students without parental consent?
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14 comments // Boy, 14, Overdoses on Nicorette Gum Given to Him By School

  • timetide
    • 0
      timetide  

    • wait, they're are allowed to hand out nicorette gum willy-nilly but theres no way in hell that a student could get an asprin? WTF how does that make sense?

    • 2 years ago
  • RojoGatto
  • hoppitt
    • 0
      hoppitt  

    • I love how he already smokes and nobody says shit, that's a lot more dangerous!!!

      The headlines should be "Boy 14 smokes!"

    • 2 years ago
  • die_mark
    • 0
      die_mark  

    • Maybe the school should have told him about the dangers of overdosing on the gum, which can quite addictive to some people, but I doubt anyone would have thought they would take 45 in 24 minutes, and I am quite there in a warning on the side of gum. But the parents should have been involved with this anyway

    • 2 years ago
  • LozRiva
  • matt512
  • Mr_T
    • 0
      Mr_T  

    • Bit of a random fact for you here. If you could chemically extract the nicotine from one cigarette it would be enough to OD.
      Smoking it damages some of it and so it is not all absorbed. So it's safe. (and not all of it would be absorbed from eating it either)

    • 2 years ago
  • smileymango
  • smileymango
    • 0
      smileymango  

    • O...K... I didn't even think you COULD overdose on Nicorette :S Obviously, it has nicotine in so you can. Mind you, he did have 45 sticks :S I don't think I am capable of chewing 45 sticks of gum in 24 minutes :D

    • 2 years ago
  • abbym0308
    • 0
      abbym0308  

    • I once saw people offering free samples of Nicorette outside a tube station once. Just like the people who pass out coupons and free papers, they were handing it to everyone who walked by, saying "free gum". I was pretty surprised that they would give this stuff away for free on the streets considering they have it under lock and key at the pharmacy.

    • 2 years ago
  • benson5
    • 0
      benson5  

    • Are they gonna sue? Sounds like some kid did a dare then his parents have thought 'payout'. Pull a soppy face and get in the local paper.

      Where there's blame.....

    • 2 years ago
  • Mr_T
    • 0
      Mr_T  

    • 45 sticks in 24 minutes!!!??? SERIOUSLY now!! The boy's a tool. And how was he not sick before he got to that point?

      I'm with kitteneater. I'm sure the nurse told him how many to have. I'm sure it says on the packet too.

      Not giving it to them is treating all kids like idiots. Not everyone is an idiot. THose that are idiots would only find another way to be an idiot. I knew a kid who made himself sick by eating some random berries that grew on our school field. Unfortunately, some kids are just dumb.

    • 2 years ago
  • kitteneater
    • 0
      kitteneater  

    • Really??? It's like when I want to buy two different types of cold med, and I have to be 18 or older. I'm not going to overdose, people. One kids misinformation about the usage of gum should not account for every teen's stupidity. Jeez! I'm sure the nurse said, "Don't take more than #" and the idiot did anyway. Youth rights, man! Youth rights!

    • 2 years ago
  • tallmansam
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