Kids smoking cane toads

CHILDREN as young as 12 are licking cane toads in an attempt to get high, the Northern Territory News has learned.

Some juveniles and young adults in Katherine and Arnhem Land are even drying out the skins of cane toads and rolling them up as joints to get a hit.

But Territory health authorities have warned that those who lick or smoke cane toads are dicing with death and stress that there are no hallucinogenic effects possible from bufo toxin, the toxin excreted by the introduced pest.

Director of emergency medicine at Royal Darwin Hospital Didier Palmer said anyone who ingests bufo toxin is more likely to die than get high from it.

``These are very foolish and dangerous acts,'' he said.

``Anyone who does this runs the very serious risk of seizures, a rapid loss of consciousness, cardio-vascular collapse and death.''

Researchers investigating what substances petrol sniffers in Arnhem Land abuse were shocked to be told that some were skinning cane toads, drying them and smoking them.

Maranboy police also report they had to take a road worker into custody last month after he licked a cane toad while intoxicated.

It is understood the man's eyes rolled in the back of his head and he became extremely aggressive, and began shaking uncontrollably after licking the bufo toxin.

Officer-in-charge of Maranboy police, Brevet Sergeant Angelo Denale, said it was unclear whether the man's aggression was caused by alcohol or bufo toxin but warned against experimenting with the dangerous substance.

``Whether or not he became aggressive from licking cane toads, smoking cannabis or alcohol, it is a recipe for disaster,'' he said.

``Licking cane toads gives off some form of poison and it's obviously bad for your health.''

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Wed, 28 September 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Author: Greg McLean
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283