They call it “Beezin’” and at least according to media reports, it’s the new way for teenagers to get a buzz on. And you, the parent, may have the raw materials for this new form of high not just in your home, but in your pocket.
Yes, as you may have guessed from the above photo, the magic ingredient in Beezin’ is — lip balm. Specifically, the all-natural “Burt’s Bees” brand of lip balm. According to recent news stories making the rounds on the internet and the media, teens rub a layer of Burt’s Bees lip balm not on their lips, but on their eyelids This is said to create a a kind of tingling or tickling sensation that makes kids feel like they’re high.
The supposed trend seems ridiculous, and hard to believe . Getting high off of Burt’s Bees lip balm? Really? But ridiculous or not, videos of teens Beezin’ are cropping up on YouTube. Like this one…
And this one…
Here’s a local news story that’s been pretty typical of the Beezin’ coverage so far.
As absurd as Beezin’ seems to be, health experts do offer a couple of warnings . First of all, just because the ingredients in Burt’s Bees are all natural doesn’t mean they’re good for you, especially if you smear them in or around your eyes.
“The peppermint oil in the lip balm is a very strong irritant and can cause inflammation in the eye redness of the eye swelling,” said Dr. Brett Cauthen in a news report on an Oklahoma TV station. “Our big message is natural does not equate with safety.”
Of course, one could say that a kid who rubs lip balm on his or her eyelids deserves a little burning sensation. You know, as a learning experience.
But substance abuse specialists also warn that some young people will combine even a silly fad like Beezin’ with actual drugs or alcohol to turn the supposed Burt’s Bees high into a real and potentially dangerous one. That, of course, can be a serious issue.
As for the supposed Beezin’ trend, we’ll leave it you to decide if Burt’s Bees lip balm poses a real threat to our youth. Let us know what you think in the comments.
