Two secondary school students have been hospitalised in northern Poland after taking smart drugs known as “typhoons”.

The 13-year-olds are in intensive care and endocrinology wards at a children’s hospital in the northern city of Bydgoszcz. Their condition is described as “serious”.

A woman who was walking along Gdanska St in Bydgoszcz saw two boys lying on the ground and vomiting. She called an ambulance and police. “The boys were dazed and sleepy,” said hospital spokeswoman Danuta Kurylak.

Police found a smart drug called typhoon and marihuana on the boys. “We’re trying to establish who sold them the drugs,” Maciej Daszkiewicz from Bydgoszcz police told reporters.

In June the Polish government launched a crackdown on smart drug shops. In just one year the number of smart drug stores in Poland increased dramatically from just 44 to 500.

Polish NBA player Marcin Gortat joined in the campaign warning kids of the possible dangers involved. “Smart drugs and doping are absolutely unacceptable in sport. I have never taken them and if I can persuade kids not to use smart drugs, I’ll certainly seize that opportunity,” he said. (mg/pg)