Friends,
As you might expect, this story from the Press-Enterprise’s champion of the written word, Mr. John Asbury, is missing some important information. The bones are there though, about a man who may be seeking to make the olfactory crimes you committed after Bean Burrito Night at Taco Bell seem tame in comparison:
Man drinking gopher poison in Hemet becomes chemical risk
By PE News on July 16, 2009 6:40 AM | Comments (0)A man who drank gopher poison Monday night became a potential health risk to others as well, causing a small section of the Hemet Valley Medical Center and surrounding streets to be closed off, according to hospital and fire officials.
When ingested, two chemicals in the poison, phosphine and malathion, can mix with chemicals produced in the human body to produce toxic out-gassing, Hemet Fire Chief Matt Shobert said Wednesday.
That posed a potential risk to hospital staff and other patients, he said.
Potential? Seems like a great big imminent risk. John found somebody else to talk to though and lays down some science.
Valley Health System spokeswoman Jerri Randrup said no other patients were affected or evacuated. The man was treated in an isolated room with reverse air pressure that ventilated any toxic fumes away from any other areas.
Fire officials are unclear whether the man swallowed the poison intentionally, Shobert said. The man, whose identity was not released, remained hospitalized Wednesday, but he had transferred out of the intensive care unit and was expected to recover.
— John Asbury
So kids, as Fernando Valenzuela would remind us—be smart, stay in school—and consider not drinking gopher poison. Okay?
– bob