FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 6 (UPI) -- Two Florida teenagers became ill after smoking a product marketed as incense but allegedly produces a marijuana-type high, police said.
The sons of Nancy Ferreira of Margate, ages 14 and 17, had been smoking mr. Nice Guy herbal smoke blend New Year's Eve and landed in a hospital emergency room, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Wednesday.
Mr. Nice Guy is marketed as incense and is labeled "not for human consumption," police said, adding they don't know what the stuff is made of.
The West Palm beach company that supplies mr. Nice Guy via the Internet would not comment.
Federal and state governments are attempting to regulate mr. Nice Guy and similar products such as Spice, Black Mamba and K2, which are sold by the gram in head shops, convenience stores and gas stations, the Sun Sentinel reported.
"He had 10 seizures in total and his blood pressure was extremely high. he didn't know I was there," Ferreira said of her 14-year-old.
Her 17-year-old was in the hospital for 24 hours and was not as severely hurt, she said.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers said its 60 member centers nationwide have heard of adverse effects from smoking the incense since the last quarter of 2009, when 14 cases were reported. Last year saw a total of 2,862 cases, and there were 42 reports within the first four days of 2011.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said the products have been linked to problems including seizures and hallucinations, vomiting, excessively rapid heartbeat and high blood pressure.
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