We have been working very closely with the Village of Holly Police Department to alert the community about the growing trend of smoking incense among area youth. This incense can be purchased very easily at local gas stations, smoke shops and party stores, and teens are smoking it to get a marijuana-type high. These incense products consist of plant material that has been coated with dangerous chemicals that mimic THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana. These chemicals are unregulated and are causing moderate to severe health conditions, including epileptic type seizures, heart palpatations, respiratory issues, panic attacks, hallucinations, delusions, stroke, heart attack and death. One mid-Michigan youth died after smoking incense in December, and six local youth have been treated at Genesys hospital in the past few months for health problems related to smoking incense.
The packaging of these products make them highly enticing to young people, and despite the warnings on the label that say “not for human consumption” young people are smoking it to get high.
Please view the following podcasts from Holly Area Schools Superintendant, Kent Barnes, and Village of Holly Police Chief, Elena Danishevskaya to learn more about this alarming trend.
