"A boy of 13 who was forced to undergo a double lung transplant after smoking synthetic marijuana has died, it emerged last night.

Brandon Rice suffered chemical burns inside his chest when he smoked fake cannabis out of a plastic PEZ candy dispenser.

Doctors in his home town of Pittsburgh were able to save his life following an extraordinary transplant operation in September.

Tragic: Brandon Rice, 13, suffered chemical burns inside his chest when he smoked fake cannabis out of a plastic PEZ candy dispenser

But on Wednesday - just a month since the operation - he died from an infection after the procedure severely weakened his immune system.

In the weeks after Brandon fell ill in June, parents Tonya and Raymond Rice have spoken out about the drug - known by various names, such as K2, Spice, Blaze and Vanilla Sky - in hopes to raise awareness about its potentially lethal side-effects.

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Tonya Rice told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review newspaper Brandon was put on a respirator in June after smoking Spice fake cannabis, which is said to be ten times more dangerous than cocaine.

She said: 'He was smart. He was caring. He was a good baseball player. He loved to hunt. He loved to fish. He was a fighter.'

Bright: Doctors in Brandon's home town of Pittsburgh were able to save his life following a double lung transplant in September

Lost life: Brandon died from an infection after the procedure severely weakened his immune system

'It was hard, very hard. He couldn't talk to us. We had to read his lips. A lot of times we couldn't understand what he was saying. He fought and fought and fought.'

The Southmoreland eighth-grader passed away at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, his mother said.

Governor Tom Corbett signed legislation outlawing synthetic marijuana a few days after the Brandon Rice became ill. The ban took effect in August.

Pennsylvania became the 21st state to ban the sale of synthetic drugs, which are known to cause agitation, paranoia and hallucinations, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Under the new law. first-time offenders convicted of simple possession will face up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Dangerous: Brandon Rice, 13, told his parents he smoked a form of synthetic marijuana called Spice before he fell ill

Poisoned: The teenager suffered chemical burns to his lungs after smoking Spice from a plastic PEZ candy dispenser

Those convicted of possession with the intent to deliver could face up to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine under the ban.

Laboratory-made drugs have been around since the middle of the 20th century, when LSD was first studied.

But synthetic marijuana - produced by spraying dried plant material with a chemical compound - has only been around for the last few years.

Doctors usually treat overdoses with anti-anxiety drugs like Valium and Xanax which slow the heart rate. SYNTHETIC DRUGS: 'MORE DANGEROUS THAN COKE'

Laboratory-made drugs have been around since the middle of the 20th century, when LSD was first studied.

But synthetic marijuana - produced by spraying dried plant material with a chemical compound - has only been around for the last few years.

Effects include paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, seizures and a rapid heartbeat and symptoms can last for days.

Doctors usually treat overdoses with anti-anxiety drugs like Valium and Xanax which slow the heart rate.

One patient told a doctor at the Carolinas Poison Center it was 'like being on cocaine, but ten times worse'.

The drugs, legal in many states, are marketed as 'soothing' bath salts or incense and can be bought for as little as $10 a time.

Cases relating to Spice and bath salts are becoming increasing frequent and have been implicated in at least ten deaths since last year, including the suicide of 18-year-old David Rozga, who shot himself after taking marijuana-like substance K2.

In March, former Rutgers student William Parisio was charged with murdering his girlfriend after taking bath salts.

In January, Neil Brown, from Missouri, used a hunting knife to slit his face and stomach after taking bath salts.

Earlier this year in Kentucky, a young woman who had taken bath salts became convinced her two-year-old son was a demon when she was driving along the highway.

A dozen students have also been expelled from the U.S. Naval Academy for taking or possessing the same drug, which can cause seizures, hallucinations and extreme paranoia.

Synthetic drugs have surged in popularity particularly this year as they become more widely available.

"The synthetically-produced drugs can be snorted or smoked and are popular because they do not show up in drugs tests.

Last year fake marijuana, known as Spice or K2 was the most popular substance, but this year bath salts - sold under innocuous names like Bliss or Ivory Wave - have taken over.

Figures released by the American Association of Poison Control Centers released earlier this year show at least 2,700 people have fallen ill after taking the drugs since January, compared to just 3,200 in the whole of 2010.

They have received 1,300 calls about synthetic marijuana this year alone - compared with 2,874 calls for the whole of 2010 - while calls for bath salts have rocketed, with 1,400 since January compared to just 301 last year."

Submitted on 11/09/2011

Submitted by: Mystic Cloud
Reference: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2054493/Boy-14-dies-following-lung-transplant-smoking-synthe

Copyright © 2011 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Other
Thanks, but our maturity cutoff is 16 so we can't accept this.

Candi said:
Definitely Toss: Other
What Bruce said.

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