CMPD warns about poisonous yellow jessamine

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are warning the public about yellow jessamine.

They are telling residents in the Eastway division not to eat the flowers, also known as yellow jasmine.

Several people have been taken to the hospital after eating large amounts of the poisonous flowers, police said.

The North Carolina Health Department said the victims might have mistaken it as an herb that is frequently used in the country of Burma.

“This plant has a toxin that, when ingested in large amounts, can cause weakness and potentially paralysis,” Dr. Michael Beuhler, medical director of the Carolinas Poison Center, said.

Anyone who might have ingested the flower should call poison control at 704-355-4000 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

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