13 kids at summer camp fall ill after eating 'mushroom-laced' chocolate
Ella Scott
Featured Image Credit: Penpak S./Getty Images
A handful of children taking part in a summer camp in New Jersey have fallen ill after allegedly eating chocolate laced with mushrooms, police have confirmed.
Last Thursday (23 July), officials were called to a YMCA camp on North Arlington Avenue in East Orange after ‘receiving a report that multiple children attending the camp had consumed what appeared to be a variety of mushroom-laced edibles’, as per the East Orange Police Department (EOPD).
People Magazine reported that a camp counsellor had been informed that a child was ‘not feeling well’ after catching another of the campers - who has since been identified - ‘passing out what appeared to be candy’ to the other kids.
In total, 12 of the New Jersey campers, aged 10 to 13, experienced ‘similar symptoms’.
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Cynthia Cunningham, a mum of a 12-year-old at the camp, said she arrived to find the children looking ‘like zombies’.
“It was sad, really sad. This shouldn’t happen,” she told abc7.
The affected kids were later assessed, with one being transported to a nearby hospital as a precautionary measure; the EOPD informed the publication.
It’s understood that the child who was hospitalised had a ‘pre-existing medical history’, as per officers.
The EOPD said to the outlet that no charges have been filed against the camper suspected of handing out the laced chocolate.
Moreover, an investigation into the camp incident remains active and ongoing, officials stated.
In a statement, East Orange Police Chief Phyllis L. Bindi called the mushroom-laced chocolate incident ‘deeply concerning’ as it involved the ‘safety and well-being of children’.
She continued: “The East Orange Police Department takes incidents involving suspected controlled substances extremely seriously.
“Our detectives are conducting a thorough investigation to determine exactly what occurred, how these suspected edibles came into the possession of a juvenile, and whether any criminal offenses were committed.”
Bindi said that she and the force continue to work ‘closely’ with its partners to ‘ensure the safety of our youth and to hold anyone responsible accountable under the law’.
Speaking to People Magazine, Richard K. Gorab, the President and CEO of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, said that one of its campers ‘shared a substance resembling candy with other campers without our knowledge or consent’.
“Later, when staff noticed campers having an adverse reaction to the substance, we immediately enacted our emergency protocols, contacting emergency services, parents and the police.”
He continued, explaining that the camp is ‘fully cooperating’ with police and that all campers impacted by the laced chocolate were ‘released to their parents’.
“As a matter of policy, campers are prohibited from sharing food or snacks with one another,” Gorab said.
“The safety of every child in our care is our highest priority. Out of respect for the privacy of the families involved, we will not be sharing further details about the children or circumstances of the investigation. “
FOODbible has contacted the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges for a statement.