Teens Using Nutmeg to Get High

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A popular holiday ingredient used to make pies and cakes is making quite a buzz these days. The Georgia Poison Center reports more kids are using nutmeg to get high.

When you think of nutmeg, you think sweet potato pies and pudding.
Now, kids are using it to get baked. They smoke it, snort it, drink it, and even eat it.

"That's a shock to us. Oh my god. Nutmeg. You can't even buy nutmeg these days," said Reba Hendrix.

A YouTube video shows a guy turning up an entire bottle. Then he downs it with water that has nutmeg also mixed in.

"It's kind of like a YouTube sensation that's going around where I guess people heard they could get high off it so they smoke it then film the effects after," said Kayla Stegall, a U of M student.

Experts say it takes a tablespoon or more to experience any effect and takes about 15 to 20 minutes for those effects to kick in.

The Georgia Poison Center said the effects are unhealthy and extremely dangerous. These effects include; nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, convulsions, palpitations, dizziness, dehydration, dry mouth, body pain, insomnia and constipation.

"My nutmeg experience-I would do it again because while I was high or suppose to be high, I was sleeping," said one You tuber.

This girl who also posted a video said she slept for three days straight after eating nutmeg.

"I mean it's a kitchen spice. Why would you sniff a kitchen spice," said David Penh.

"I think it's pretty silly yeah. I don't see any reason why you would want to do that in the first place," said Andrew Rivers.

"it's actually going to take someone getting high off it, going to the hospital and probably die for them to do something about it," said Ashley Hendrix. "I mean what's next. I think it's sad. I think it's sad."

Experts are urging parents to keep a close eye on their cabinet goods when cooking this holiday season.