BREMEN, Germany: A young child is being treated in an intensive care unit after accidentally swallowing drugs left behind in a playground, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
A urine test came back positive for cocaine, amphetamines and MDMA, also known as ecstasy, police said on Friday.
The incident occurred in the northern town of Wolfenbüttel, near Hanover, on Monday.
The 18-month-old boy was in a playground with his mother and another toddler.
The child’s father arrived at the scene and noticed that the toddler was behaving strangely, showing signs of apathy, loss of appetite and a strong fixation on a toy.
During the subsequent car journey, the child vomited up a “plastic-like” material.
The toddler was taken to hospital, where a blood test confirmed the suspicion of drug intoxication. The child’s life is not in danger.
It is still unclear how much the child swallowed. A further blood test to confirm and quantify the substances is still pending.
The authorities immediately closed the playground.
No other drugs were found during the search, which included the use of drug-sniffing dogs. The playground has since been reopened. – BERNAMA-dpa
