# Ex-Lax brownies illegal? Prunes too slow? Have some gummy bears! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 22, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939 "2013-12-22T06:01:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/21 "2013-12-23T21:32:05Z")
Not directly related to the thread at all…yet its title compels me to share this story. I was working as a DJ at a country music station in 1987. The group Ballie and the Boys had just had a pretty good-sized hit with a song called “Oh Heart.” When their follow-up single was released, I decided to introduce it thusly: "Well, here’s the story of a guy who got his Ex-Lax and his Hershey Bars mixed up…it’s called “He’s Letting Go”! ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/22 "2013-12-24T17:27:38Z")
I’m so lucky that I’m mostly immune to the laxative effects. I say ‘mostly’ because I’ve never downed a whole bag of sugar free candy at once, so maybe it’d kick in then! 😃 I do get vague stomachaches, but nothing bad enough for this diabetic to avoid the sugar free stuff. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/23 "2013-12-27T06:08:40Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > I’ve spent _years_ trying to explain to people that I DO NOT want any of their sugar-free soda or treats because I can’t afford to spend the rest of my day in the restroom. “Oh, but it tastes just like the regular version!” they say. Maybe, but the sugared version won’t leave you with the all - day squits after two bites. You have it with even the stuff they put in soda? That sucks! I think most people only have problems with the ones that were close to sugar in both structure and chemical properties, like the sugar alcohols. Since you don’t digest them, it’s like having sugar in your waste–the same sort of thing that causes lactose intolerance. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/24 "2013-12-27T06:13:40Z")
> [@bump](#): > > No cramps or flaming anus discomfort that I recall though. Oh, well, that’s OK, then. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/25 "2013-12-27T17:08:34Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > You have it with even the stuff they put in soda? That sucks! I think most people only have problems with the ones that were close to sugar in both structure and chemical properties, like the sugar alcohols. Since you don’t digest them, it’s like having sugar in your waste–the same sort of thing that causes lactose intolerance. These generally have a similar sweetness to sugars, so they’re present in large amounts. The stuff they put in soda is orders of magnitude sweeter, so there really isn’t much present at all. ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/26 "2013-12-27T17:26:57Z")
Sugarless candy or sweets is really just plain nonsense. It should be banned. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/27 "2013-12-27T19:10:30Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > You have it with even the stuff they put in soda? Not as violent of a reaction as with sugar-free candy, but still enough that I’m very careful to avoid sugar-free drinks. I’m fine with stevia (though it had a very unpleasant chemical taste to me), and I’ve never had enough sucralose to know if it would be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/28 "2013-12-27T22:54:33Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I don’t think that there’s going to be a run on this item. I think there already has been! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/29 "2013-12-27T23:10:34Z")
What is described in the OP reminds me of one of my worst days on the planet. We had bought sugar free gummy bears while on a water skiing trip. I ate a whole bag (which sounds like more than it is) and went to sleep in the sun. I awoke about a half hour later in sweltering heat, made worse but my digestive discomfort. The bloating, good God, the bloating! I would swell as if an alien creature were about to pop up out of my abdomen, then subside. This went on for hours. Have you ever prayed for a good long fart? I did, but my prayer was not answered! It finally stopped. I have never eaten another gummy bear. Or anything else with sorbitol in the ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/30 "2013-12-28T21:47:43Z")
> [@James\_Toothpaste](#): > > Sugarless candy or sweets is really just plain nonsense. It should be banned. :mad: Along with non-alcoholic beer and decaffeinated coffee. These products are akin to having a woman who won’t put out! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/31 "2013-12-28T22:39:53Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > I’m fine with stevia (though it had a very unpleasant chemical taste to me)… That would be the ricin. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/32 "2014-01-26T07:05:28Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Didn’t we already have this thread? > > Are Ex-Lax brownies really illegal? 😕 Not intrinsically. It’s fine to make Ex-Lax brownies and eat them yourself or give them to other people after making those people aware of what they are. However, if you give them to people without making those people aware of what they are or otherwise trick people into eating them unawares, that’s potentially criminal. It’s legally poisoning and potentially dangerous, because the person might have a bad reaction due to a medical condition or from eating a larger dose than you intended. In addition, it’s really illegal to drug someone without their consent. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/33 "2014-01-26T19:34:52Z")
Ever since I checked out the OPs link, Amazon has been put up ads for Haribo sugarless gummi bears all over this page. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/34 "2014-01-27T00:37:49Z")
Wiki sez- > [@](#): > > Laxative[edit] > > Sorbitol can be used as a non-stimulant laxative via an oral suspension or enema. As with other sugar alcohols, gastrointestinal distress may result when food products that contain sorbitol are consumed. Sorbitol exerts its laxative effect by drawing water into the large intestine, thereby stimulating bowel movements.[4] Sorbitol has been determined safe for use by the elderly, although it is not recommended without consultation with a clinician.[5] Sorbitol is found in some dried fruits and may contribute to the laxative effects of prunes.[6] Sorbital was discovered initially in the fresh juice of mountain ash berries in 1872.[7] It is found in the fruits of apples, plums, pears, cherries, dates, peaches, and apricots. ---
**Author:** ![Tannim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Tannim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tannim)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/35 "2014-01-27T02:53:28Z")
So I would be perfectly safe in making some ex-lax brownies and labeling them “special ex-lax brownies”. Then if people took them it wouldn’t have been a surprise. It’s not my fault if they don’t believe me right? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/36 "2014-01-27T02:58:52Z")
We should keep this thread in mind, to cite it in the next colonoscopy thread. Perhaps I should even include this thread in my accumulated list of SDMB colonoscopy threads (which I’ve posted or linked several times already in the last year). Of course, there can be no doubt it will come up again by and by. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/37 "2014-01-27T03:02:34Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I don’t think that there’s going to be a run on this item. Those who don’t run from this item, will? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/38 "2014-01-27T03:32:29Z")
> [@Tannim](#): > > So I would be perfectly safe in making some ex-lax brownies and labeling them “special ex-lax brownies”. Then if people took them it wouldn’t have been a surprise. It’s not my fault if they don’t believe me right? I was sort of wondering about that myself, and the extent of legal liability. What if you were in an office with food theft issues, brought unlabeled brownies, and just claimed later that you made them for yourself because you were constipated, and had no intention of poisoning anyone, heaven forbid! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939/39 "2014-01-27T03:37:21Z")
I recall once as a child, I loaded some brownies with Ex-Lax and tried to get my long-suffering father to eat them. Suspicious of my hard sell, he gave them to the dog instead! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ex-lax-brownies-illegal-prunes-too-slow-have-some-gummy-bears/676939.md?page=1)