Increased suicide by way of oleander seed

In Sri Lanka there is currently an increase in suicide by yellow oleander.
news.bbc.co.uk...

"It completely overwhelms the health service. Often young people use it as a way of getting back at people. They get scolded and they take a yellow oleander seed.

"I remember one girl said her mother wanted her to get up and do the shopping. She said no, her mother scolded her and she took a yellow oleander seed.

"I remember a Muslim girl - her mother said she couldn't watch TV during Ramadan, so she took a seed in front of her mother.

"We had no ambulance to get her in time and we had no good treatments. She died."

The funny thing about this is that this plant is deadly, yet is grown in gardens and roadsides legally. A plant like cannabis is illegal, and no one has ever died from it's use. Sri Lanka has some of the harshest marijuana laws around, yet they cultivate this plant for decoration. Why don't they just go around and destroy every natural instance of this plant as well?

I'm not actually in favor of destroying the plant, I'm just trying to make a point. Why criminalize one "dangerous" plant, but leave a deadly one growing by the roadside.

Of course, Foxgloves are just full of digitalis. Or digitoxin. Basis for cardic glycosides in heart failure, although very low therapeutic index. Whatever - I forget.

Very pretty flowers, however quite bad for you if eaten.

The moral probably is.....don't eat flowers!

TD

Actually....it *is* related to Foxglove!

www.vet.purdue.edu...

Still, don't see how this relates to legalizing marijuana.

TD

I only meant to point out the hypocracy of marijuana laws. One plant not being dangerous, yet millions of dollars spent to erradicate it from the face of the Earth. Another plant extremely deadly, and actually used for deadly purposes, yet it lines the roads. As far as I know, the only reason for the criminalization of marijuana is it's dangers to mankind. That argument has basically been thrown out the window.

I hope this thread doesn't get shut down because someone gets it in their head to start saying things that they shouldn't. I've seen the terms and conditions of use thing interrupt many very intersting threads, and stop them in their tracks.