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10-30-2005, 08:28 PM
Schools: ‘Watch your meds’; Officials urge parents to be aware of medication abuse
By Alex Pickett, Independent Newspapers
After several instances of prescription and over-the-counter drug overdoses, Chandler Unified School District officials are asking parents to keep closer tabs on medicine inside their homes.
Andersen Junior High and Hamilton High School have both recently had incidents where teenagers took prescription drugs from home, ingested them at school and even shared them with friends.
Last month at Andersen Junior High School, two eighth-grade girls were sent to the hospital after ingesting Lorizipan, an antidepressant medication, brought to school by another girl.
The medication belonged to the student’s mother.
At Hamilton, three to four students have gone to the hospital so far this school year after taking prescription medication or over-the-counter drugs in large doses, officials said.
Those students were suspected of bringing the medication from home as well.
Michelle Miner, the school nurse at Hamilton High School, said there is not any kind of trend, but the drug abuse is consistent every year. Still, she said there is “definitely a concern.”
“It ebbs and flows but it doesn’t go away,” she said.
Principal Jim Anderson of Andersen Junior High said it had been a few years since the last incident at the school.
“You have kids doing stupid stuff from time to time,” he said. “The kids know better than this.”
He said Ritalin and Coricidin are commonly abused medications.
Ritalin can create a high similar to “speed” if crushed and snorted, while Coricidin is a cough and cold medication that also produces a high if taken in large doses.
Besides long-term effects to a teenager’s body, including the liver, abusing medication can cause severe consequences immediately.
For example, an overdose of Coricidin can be fatal.
Mr. Anderson said the school used the incident to educate the students on the dangers of drug abuse.
“We went on KJAG (campus TV) and talked about the dangers of this,” he said, adding that science teachers also spoke to their classes about drugs.
Ms. Miner said Hamilton will call the paramedics anytime a student has taken a drug that was not cleared with the administration previously.
“We don’t have any idea of what they took,” she said. “We don’t take any chances. It’s always better to err on the side of safety.”
A study released this summer by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse revealed 15.1 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs and abuse among teenagers has tripled between 1992 and 2003.
Ms. Miner said she urges parents to get rid of any unused medications in their house and to watch their children for erratic behavior.
“Parents can’t let up because their kids are in high school,” she said. “High school kids probably need (supervision) more because they are a bit more creative and a bit more mobile.”
Ms. Miner and Mr. Anderson agree parents need to talk to their kids about drug issues.
“The best anti-drug is parents talking to their kids,” Mr. Anderson said.
http://www.newszap.com/articles/2005/10/25...lley/chan01.txt (http://www.newszap.com/articles/2005/10/25/az/east_valley/chan01.txt)
By Alex Pickett, Independent Newspapers
After several instances of prescription and over-the-counter drug overdoses, Chandler Unified School District officials are asking parents to keep closer tabs on medicine inside their homes.
Andersen Junior High and Hamilton High School have both recently had incidents where teenagers took prescription drugs from home, ingested them at school and even shared them with friends.
Last month at Andersen Junior High School, two eighth-grade girls were sent to the hospital after ingesting Lorizipan, an antidepressant medication, brought to school by another girl.
The medication belonged to the student’s mother.
At Hamilton, three to four students have gone to the hospital so far this school year after taking prescription medication or over-the-counter drugs in large doses, officials said.
Those students were suspected of bringing the medication from home as well.
Michelle Miner, the school nurse at Hamilton High School, said there is not any kind of trend, but the drug abuse is consistent every year. Still, she said there is “definitely a concern.”
“It ebbs and flows but it doesn’t go away,” she said.
Principal Jim Anderson of Andersen Junior High said it had been a few years since the last incident at the school.
“You have kids doing stupid stuff from time to time,” he said. “The kids know better than this.”
He said Ritalin and Coricidin are commonly abused medications.
Ritalin can create a high similar to “speed” if crushed and snorted, while Coricidin is a cough and cold medication that also produces a high if taken in large doses.
Besides long-term effects to a teenager’s body, including the liver, abusing medication can cause severe consequences immediately.
For example, an overdose of Coricidin can be fatal.
Mr. Anderson said the school used the incident to educate the students on the dangers of drug abuse.
“We went on KJAG (campus TV) and talked about the dangers of this,” he said, adding that science teachers also spoke to their classes about drugs.
Ms. Miner said Hamilton will call the paramedics anytime a student has taken a drug that was not cleared with the administration previously.
“We don’t have any idea of what they took,” she said. “We don’t take any chances. It’s always better to err on the side of safety.”
A study released this summer by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse revealed 15.1 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs and abuse among teenagers has tripled between 1992 and 2003.
Ms. Miner said she urges parents to get rid of any unused medications in their house and to watch their children for erratic behavior.
“Parents can’t let up because their kids are in high school,” she said. “High school kids probably need (supervision) more because they are a bit more creative and a bit more mobile.”
Ms. Miner and Mr. Anderson agree parents need to talk to their kids about drug issues.
“The best anti-drug is parents talking to their kids,” Mr. Anderson said.
http://www.newszap.com/articles/2005/10/25...lley/chan01.txt (http://www.newszap.com/articles/2005/10/25/az/east_valley/chan01.txt)