Saturday, June 2, 2007
Page: A14
Section: Comment
Source: Times Colonist
When young Morgan Jayne Makowecki died last year, it was thought that a rare liver disease had killed her. Now, after toxicology tests, it turns out to be something quite different: Amanitin poisoning.
Makowecki died after eating a mushroom that was almost identical in appearance to a hallucinogenic magic mushroom. The toxin in the mushroom attacked her liver, eventually killing her. Except for brief flu-like symptoms -- the only signal that treatment is needed -- there was no warning.
The B.C. Coroners Service says the poisonous mushroom was probably a Galerina autumnalis, which grows in the same woody habitat as magic mushrooms.
Coroner Barb McLintock says there is not much information on mushroom poisoning. The Makowecki report took a year to complete because it was difficult to determine the origin of the amanitin.
And the North American Mycological Association says since most mushroom species are rarely eaten, many toxins are poorly documented. McLintock says it is likely other deaths have occurred because of mushroom poisoning, but been blamed on other causes.
Over the past five years, drug awareness and prevention programs have focused almost exclusively on methamphetamine, ecstasy and heroin. Magic mushrooms have fallen down the list of priorities, although they are still popular among students and many are barely aware of the risk.
Users are playing a form of Russian roulette whenever they pick or consume mushrooms.
School drug programs should include information that would help potential users increase their chances of identifying the bad mushrooms.
And the programs should remind them that there is no sure way to avoid the risk except avoiding the mushrooms.
There are times when young people need to hear the blunt truth.
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