Apple seeds

[Jaila]

The other day we had an im go unresponsive in the showers.

He was sent out to local hospital, we were suspecting he had

been cheeking some of his meds and had taken a lot at once

to avoid being caught when our team went through to do a

drug search. As it turns out 2 days later after returning from

hospital he confessed that another im had told him he could get

high if he ate a bunch of apple seeds. Well he saved up about a

1/2 cup worth and ate them. I was not aware of the

equivelance to cyanide. Has anyone else come across this at

their jail? Any other fruits to be wary of?

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

According to an article I read, peach and apricot pits are far more worrisome. They contain amygdalin, the same sugar and cyanide compound that the apple seeds do, but in much larger amounts. Fortunately they are also much larger, and not many people would be inclined to deliberately eat them. Cherry pits also contain this compound.

According to the article, you would have to eat a tremendous amount of apple seeds for it to be fatal.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

bitter almonds....though i dont think you can buy them in the states??? i would think nectarines......but with the pitted rather than seeded fruit, they would need to find a way to open the pitshttp://www.wellness.com/reference/food/bitter-almond-prunus-amygdalus-batch-var-amara-dc-focke-and-laetrile/dosing-and-safety

[momfullofcurls]

WOW! This is interesting stuff. I bet correctional nurses see all sorts of things. I am a school nurse and we see students attempt crazy things (like drinking hand sanitizer) to get high. So far I have not encountered the apple seed issue. I hope that does not get out. Thanks for sharing.

[jschut, BSN, RN]

I've always known about apple seeds and cyanide, but I surely didn't know that anyone would actually TRY that!

The things they'll do.........

[CCHP-RN]

I've always known about apple seeds and cyanide, but I surely didn't know that anyone would actually TRY that!

The things they'll do.........

I had an inmate drink bleach/water that he was cleaning with ... to prove to the officers that it was too diluted. Evidently he was right. It did absolutely nothing to him. Regardless any sane person would not prove it with that method!