Abuse of henbane by children in Turkey

In central Anatolia (Turkey), there is a popular children's game in which various parts of plants are eaten. In 1982 and 1983, a study was carried out involving 76 children who ate psychoactive henbane plants (of the Hyoscyamus species) during such games. The study showed that the majority of the children (81.6 per cent) ate henbane plants during their games to experience pleasant sensations or to try the effects of the plants. As a consequence of these games, 20 children, or 26.3 per cent of those included in the study, were severely intoxicated and brought in for treatment: five children were in a comatose state and two died. The article points out that the abuse of henbane plants is a dangerous form of drug abuse because it is easy to obtain these plants, large quantities of which grow wild in Turkey, and because parents are not aware of the hazards involved in children's games in which such psychoactive plants are eaten.