Camille Moreau
This is a phenomenon that worries health personnel. More and more children are inadvertently inhaling or swallowing cannabis at home. A particularly dangerous drug for young people, which frequently leads to hospitalizations. In less than ten years, cannabis has become the third cause of hospitalization of children.
The national health security agency is sounding the alarm. Cases of poisoning of children under six years old with cannabis are exploding in France. While accidents linked to medicines or household products remain the most frequent, cannabis is now the third cause of hospitalization.
In less than ten years, the numbers have doubled. Thus, in 2014, 200 children were hospitalized, compared to 410 in 2019. An accident that regularly happens at home, where these children inhaled or swallowed a piece of cannabis resin, which their parents may have left lying around.
More children in intensive care
Problem, the substance is particularly dangerous for the brains of children. “Cannabis is a substance that binds to brain receptors and causes brain dysfunction. That is to say, the substance will make a child sleepy, who does not speak, who cannot hold his head up , who has a somewhat hybrid approach, like a drunk person or a child who can present abnormal movements, or even a convulsive attack”, explains pediatrician Éric Sellam, speaking to Europe 1.
And these extreme cases are becoming more and more common. Cannabis sends more children to intensive care than poisoning from household products or medications. Between 2014 and 2020, 131 children were admitted to intensive care after inhaling or swallowing cannabis.