Family intoxicated by cannabis fumes

12 November 2004

BRUSSELS – Two young children and their parents were found unconscious after breathing in fumes given off by, it was reported on Friday.

On Wednesday morning, a grandfather in Seraing, in Wallonia, went to collect his two grandchildren, Nahel, 4, and Dorian, 3, to take them to school, La Derniere Heure reported.

He knocked at the home of his 31-year-old daughter Emmanuelle’s home, but got no reply.

After checking with the school, in case the children had been dropped off earlier by someone else, the grandfather started to get worried.

He called the father of his daughter’s partner Martial and the two anxious grandfathers eventually decided to break a window and get into the house to find out what was wrong.

Inside, they found Emmanuelle and Martial and their two children unconscious.

The emergency services quickly arrived at the house and suspected that the four were victims of carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty gas appliance.

However, when no gas was detected, the fire services and police officers searched and found 107 cannabis plants growing in the house.

Experts say the mixture of fertilisers and pesticides on the plants released a substance called delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient of cannabis, which could have eventually killed the parents and children.

The four were taken to Citadelle Hospital for treatment.

On Thursday morning, Martial was sufficiently recovered to be arrested and charged with growing cannabis.

At Liege magistrate court, he pleaded guilty and was taken into custody in Lantin.

The two children are still under observation in hospital.

Subject: Belgian news