Reuters reports that the Massachusetts communities of Fall River and New Bedford are moving to ban the sale of a product called “Lazy Cakes,” which are said to be laced with “nearly 8 milligrams of the supplemental sleep aid, which is about 25 times the usual amount prescribed for adults.” The so-called “relaxation brownies,” according to the story, are sold in both food stores and in some nightclubs, but may also have been responsible for sending some kids who tried them to the hospital.
The towns also say they will push for a statewide ban.
The story says that “considered a dietary supplement rather than a drug, melatonin is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Doctors say an adult dosage could be dangerous to a child, effectively acting as a strong drug akin to Valium that can cause extreme drowsiness.
“Reports have emerged of youngsters who sampled Lazy Cakes and were rushed to hospital emergency rooms, where it was extremely difficult to wake them up. In Arizona, a two-year-old boy given a few bites of a relative's treat was hospitalized after becoming withdrawn and falling deeply asleep.”
Reuters says that “Baked World/HBB, the Memphis-based maker of Lazy Cakes, says it clearly labels each brownie to show it advises consumption by adults only.”
The brownies are said to be a perfect accompaniment - or antidote to - energy drinks laced with alcohol.
The towns also say they will push for a statewide ban.
The story says that “considered a dietary supplement rather than a drug, melatonin is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Doctors say an adult dosage could be dangerous to a child, effectively acting as a strong drug akin to Valium that can cause extreme drowsiness.
“Reports have emerged of youngsters who sampled Lazy Cakes and were rushed to hospital emergency rooms, where it was extremely difficult to wake them up. In Arizona, a two-year-old boy given a few bites of a relative's treat was hospitalized after becoming withdrawn and falling deeply asleep.”
Reuters says that “Baked World/HBB, the Memphis-based maker of Lazy Cakes, says it clearly labels each brownie to show it advises consumption by adults only.”
The brownies are said to be a perfect accompaniment - or antidote to - energy drinks laced with alcohol.
- KC's View:
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The guys who make Lazy Cakes at least didn’t call them “Hash Brownies,” which is probably what those clowns who made the “Cocaine” energy drink would have done.
I always end up asking myself the same question about these kinds of products - is it possible that the people who devised and manufactured them do not have children, are not parents, and have no sense of responsibility?
Maybe it is legal to make and sell them. And maybe they have warning labels. And maybe they know that a label that says “adults only” serves as catnip to kids, many of whom will find such a labeled product to be utterly irresistible.
Legal or not, making this kind of crap just seems utterly irresponsible.
