ORANGE — Three teen-agers lost consciousness and another suffered spasms Thursday morning after they tried to get high by drinking a tea made with jimson weed, a poisonous plant, police said.
The youths, ages 15 to 17, were taken to hospitals and are expected to recover. One remains in intensive care.
Poison control officials said several dozen Southern California teen-agers become ill each year after smoking, drinking or eating parts of the jimson weed, a member of the poisonous nightshade family. Although no fatalities have been recorded, ingesting the plant can cause seizures and severe nerve and muscle damage if a person does not receive prompt medical attention.
