Warning issued over Gatorade powder
It was two isolated incidents of youth snorting Gatorade powder that prompted Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) to issue an alert to parents earlier this weekend.
The notice shared Sunday over Facebook warned of what they believe to be a “concerning and dangerous” new trend. Some minors seem to believe snorting the product can provide a temporary rush.
“This is a misconception,” KSCS wrote in the post. “Inhaling Gatorade powder can seriously harm the respiratory system, causing coughing, lung damage, and potential infections.”
Rebecca D’Amico was among those at KSCS behind the decision to share the warning to the community. The prevention team she works with got word of the possible trend following a recent meeting with the Kahnawake Education Center (KEC).
“Even if it’s only a couple of cases, we want to try and bring awareness to the community, so that parents can be alert and aware,” she said. “We don’t want to incite any panic or anything like that.”
D’Amico said they’ve yet to link it to an established trend on any particular social media platform like TikTok or Snapchat. She said elementary and high school-aged students were among those involved.
“We got the information, we shared the information,” she said. “It’s not necessarily something we sat on.”
It was KEC director Falen Jacobs that confirmed the trend was linked to only two isolated incidents. The education centre informed KSCS about the trend while at a regularly scheduled prevention meeting.
“Based on previous experiences with social media trends, this meeting was both proactive and informative,” the director wrote in a statement to The Eastern Door.
She also encouraged parents to try and inform themselves about the content their children could be consuming online.
“We strongly encourage parents to monitor their children’s online activities and explain the potential dangers of online challenges,” the director added. “Our schools actively engage with students and parents to provide support and guidance regarding such issues.”
Unusual behaviour, difficulty breathing, and excessive coughing could be linked to snorting or inhaling the product, according to KSCS. In some instances, medical attention might be required.
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Community members can reach out to KSCS by calling 450-632-6880 if they want to report a case and get support from one of their intake workers.
