Mushroom gummies warning after two Palm Beach Currumbin students were hospitalised

Schoolies have been warned about the effects of dangerous mushroom gummies after two Gold Coast high school students were hospitalised.

Palm Beach Currumbin State High School. Picture: Jerad Williams

A senior paramedic has issued a heartfelt warning ahead of Schoolies next month after two Gold Coast high school students were hospitalised from the effects of dangerous mushroom gummies.

The male students from Palm Beach Currumbin High on the southern Glitter Strip were rushed by ambulance to Gold Coast University Hospital on Wednesday after taking what they said were Uncle Frog’s Mushroom Gummies.

The teens were reportedly suffering symptoms including altered consciousness, dizziness and nausea.

They were the latest in a string of Aussies hospitalised after taking the gummies, which had been the subject of a national health recall and urgent health warnings.

Mitch Ware said he’d seen an increase in cases such as the one at PBC. Picture: Richard Gosling

Mitch Ware, senior operations supervisor with the Queensland Ambulance Service, said paramedics had seen an increase in young people experimenting with potentially deadly non-prescribed or illicit drugs like gummies.

Mr Ware said he was concerned that teenagers could be “tricked or peer-pressured” into taking products like gummies at Schoolies.

“We’ve got Schoolies coming up next month and I don’t want to be standing up in front of the media after someone’s been either seriously injured or killed while celebrating what’s meant to be the best time in their young lives,” he said.

Mushroom gummies have come with a warning.

“As we saw yesterday, these are products that dramatically affect the body’s natural chemistry and have the potential to cause significant health concerns such as seizures and auditory visual hallucinations.

“They often render people unconscious and they also produce a wide range of other symptoms including sweating, dizziness, lethargy and blurred vision.

“These are all sorts of frequent symptoms that we see with any of these types of gummies.

“Quite disturbingly, these types of products are often marketed as being a safe and natural solution to various medical conditions.”

Mr Ware said the two PBC students were lucky to have escaped relatively unscathed.

“Any time you consume a drug or any non-prescribed medication there’s obviously an element of risk involved,” he said.

“There’s no way of knowing where it’s been made, who’s made it, what their intentions are. The key motive for these people (drug makers and sellers) is to receive financial benefit.

“Your health and wellbeing is not a priority for these people.”

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand issued a recall notice for Uncle Frog’s Mushroom Gummies in June after people across Australia were taken to hospital with symptoms including “disturbing hallucinations”.

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard issued a warning about the gummies. Picture: Liam Kidston

Queensland’s chief health officer, Dr John Gerrard, was among health officials to issue public warnings about the product after three people were hospitalised in the sunshine state.

The Australian distributor for the gummies later issued an apology, saying he was “really sorry” and making people sick was “not the intention”.

A Queensland Department of Education spokesman said support services had been arranged by PBC State High for students following the incident.

“As soon as the school became aware of the incident, emergency services were immediately contacted to attend the school and assess the students,” he said.

“There is no higher priority for the Department of Education than the safety and wellbeing of students and staff.

“No further details can be provided for reasons of student privacy.”

Originally published as Mushroom gummies warning after two Palm Beach Currumbin students were hospitalised