C20H25N3O
05-17-2008, 05:41 PM
Medication sickens four Riverdale students
Four Riverdale High students were rushed to hospitals Monday after they took medication at school that made them sick.
The Lee County School District didn't know whether legal or illegal drugs were involved, said district spokesman Joe Donzelli said.
Mandy Krutilla, 15, a Riverdale sophomore, said paramedics told her the students took a cough syrup.
She said one of the students went into shock while taking a final exam in her ROTC class.
"He started screaming, 'I can't take it anymore! Get it out of me! Help, help!'" Krutilla said.
She said that student as well as another student were pulled out of lunch and two others were plucked from the hallways and put on ambulances.
Paul Filla, Lee County public safety spokesman, said two were taken to Lee Memorial Hospital and two to Gulf Coast Hospital.
He said the medical calls came in at 12:17 p.m. as non-life-threatening.
"We need to determine exactly what it was. It could have been something taken out of mom's medicine cabinet," Donzelli said. "Their parents have been notified."
The school district wouldn't release the students' names because of confidentiality concerns. Their medical condition was unknown Monday night.
A sliding scale of disciplinary action is used by the district when students are caught using or distributing drugs.
When prescription drugs are involved, it is considered a level 3 offense punishable by suspension or expulsion, depending on the circumstances, Donzelli said.
When over-the-counter medications are involved, punishment can range from detention to reassignment to an alternative learning center.
Even students who have to take a medication during the day are required to contact school officials.
"Students cannot self-medicate," Donzelli said.
In his 16 years in education, Donzelli said he has seen incidents before where two or more students overdose and need emergency care at the same time.
"Friends share things with friends," Donzelli said.
Officials at the east Fort Myers school declined to comment.Source (http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/NEWS0123/805130363/1002/NEWS01)
Four Riverdale High students were rushed to hospitals Monday after they took medication at school that made them sick.
The Lee County School District didn't know whether legal or illegal drugs were involved, said district spokesman Joe Donzelli said.
Mandy Krutilla, 15, a Riverdale sophomore, said paramedics told her the students took a cough syrup.
She said one of the students went into shock while taking a final exam in her ROTC class.
"He started screaming, 'I can't take it anymore! Get it out of me! Help, help!'" Krutilla said.
She said that student as well as another student were pulled out of lunch and two others were plucked from the hallways and put on ambulances.
Paul Filla, Lee County public safety spokesman, said two were taken to Lee Memorial Hospital and two to Gulf Coast Hospital.
He said the medical calls came in at 12:17 p.m. as non-life-threatening.
"We need to determine exactly what it was. It could have been something taken out of mom's medicine cabinet," Donzelli said. "Their parents have been notified."
The school district wouldn't release the students' names because of confidentiality concerns. Their medical condition was unknown Monday night.
A sliding scale of disciplinary action is used by the district when students are caught using or distributing drugs.
When prescription drugs are involved, it is considered a level 3 offense punishable by suspension or expulsion, depending on the circumstances, Donzelli said.
When over-the-counter medications are involved, punishment can range from detention to reassignment to an alternative learning center.
Even students who have to take a medication during the day are required to contact school officials.
"Students cannot self-medicate," Donzelli said.
In his 16 years in education, Donzelli said he has seen incidents before where two or more students overdose and need emergency care at the same time.
"Friends share things with friends," Donzelli said.
Officials at the east Fort Myers school declined to comment.Source (http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/NEWS0123/805130363/1002/NEWS01)