schoolboy overdoses on nicotine gum

[torledo]

After reading the other story about the girl and the sunscreem, i remebered another one of these 'whose to blame/who do we sue' type stories from earlier in the week. Apologies if it's a repost.

 

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/07/20/Boy-14-overdoses-on-nicotine-gum/UPI-79591248131144/

 

WEST BROMWICH, England, July 20 (UPI) -- The mother of a 14-year-old British boy who overdosed on nicotine gum blames school officials who allowed it to be handed out without parental consent.

 

The boy, identified as Aiden Williams of West Bromwich, England, fell ill and collapsed after chewing 105 pieces of Nicorette gum in 25 minutes, ingesting quantities of nicotine equivalent to smoking 180 Marlboro Light cigarettes, The Daily Mail reported Monday.

 

Aiden told authorities he had been given the gum by another student, who in turn had received it from drug counselors visiting Menzies High School Science College. They had been in the school that morning giving out hundreds of boxes of Nicorette to pupils who smoke.

 

Mother Caroline Williams told The Daily Mail: "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."

 

Counsellor Margaret Storrie said, "Aiden's friend who was originally given the gum would have been told very clearly how often to use it by the worker who gave it to him."

[FN-GM]

To be fair he is abit of an idiot for eating so much in a short space of time.

[Michael]

The mother blaims the school but then admits her sons actions were stupid Come on, who in their right mind would chew that much?

 

I would agree the school would be responsible if they gave her son 105 pieces, but clearly that didn't happen.

[EduTech]

Yeah agree! who in there right mind would eat 105 peices of that stuff!! it's not even nice lol.

[pete]

I'm sorry Mrs Williams, but it appears your son is a plonker and if we legislated for idiots all the sensible people (who are already fed up with "may contain peanuts" on a packet of peanuts) would grab the nearest gardening implement and start impaling nearby MPs in a bloody revolution.

 

Hmm,...... on second thoughts...carry on, I just need to find the lawn edger.

[teddybear]

just over 4 pieces of chewing gum every minute, or 1 every 15 seconds... His jaws must have been going mad!

[Batman]

I bet it was a dare or similar.

 

14 is plenty old enough to realise it was stupid.

[grumpy_git]

It's people like that who are behind the stupid number of rules, reply-slips, parental consent etc etc etc forms which exist today.

 

Your son acted like a pillock - live with it. Be glad you're not going to be invoiced by the NHS!

[john]

Yeah agree! who in there right mind would eat 105 peices of that stuff!! it's not even nice lol.

We can tell that by the fact that you still have the evil habit

 

As for the child, come off it, talk about stupidity!!!! As has been pointed out someone should have seen the obsessive chewing!

[torledo]

I bet it was a dare or similar.

 

14 is plenty old enough to realise it was stupid.

 

it appears 14 is old enough to develop a smoking habit.

 

It's also old enough to buy the gum from a retailer i believe.

[torledo]

if we legislated for idiots.

 

err, that's exactly what 'we' do a lot of the time.

[ICT_GUY]

This is natural selection in action, near miss, the gene pool needs more chlorine.

[IrritableTech]

I bet it was a dare or similar.

 

14 is plenty old enough to realise it was stupid.

 

I was about 14 when I took on a bet to put a whole packet of Trebor XXX mints in my mouth at the same time (which I had to suck not chew). I learned a valuable lesson that day and took my winnings graciously.

[Batman]

Ouch!!

 

I declined the offer of a cigarette in exchange for money for the ice cream van at school at about the same age. I dared him to eat it instead.

 

He did, and then threw it up. I let him have the money!