Students OD on Cold and Flu Medicine

[drdªv€]

Five Pine-Richland High School students were hospitalized this morning after overdosing on over-the-counter cold and flu medicine, school officials said.
The five were among nine freshmen and sophomores at the high school who took some combination of Robitussin cough syrup and Coricidine cough and cold medication, school Superintendent James C. Manley said.

The five were released following treatment at area hospitals, he said.

All nine students were sent home for the rest of the day and will face disciplinary action, including possible suspension or expulsion, Manley said.
Students arrived at school at 7:30 a.m., and a concerned teacher brought the first student to the principal’s office at 8:15 a.m. after noticing his strange behavior, Manley said.

That student was treated by the nurse who summoned paramedics, Manley said. Sickened students then started arriving in the office regularly until about 10 a.m., he said.

Classes were not disrupted by the incidents, Manley said.


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburgh...g/s_507087.html (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_507087.html)

[Scynne]

I want to whip out something witty and clever, but am literally sickened by this. You'd think one would be immune after hearing so many of these stories, but they still cut me to the core every time.
What was there even to treat them for? Slight, temporary nausea. That's a doozy, alright.
*insert incoherent screaming here*

[drdªv€]

Police: Students Mixed Over-The-Counter Medicines

(KDKA) GIBSONIA Nine Pine Richland High School students have been suspended after law enforcement officials say they apparently overdosed on over-the-counter medicines.

“We have done a preliminary investigation and determined that Coricidin and Robitussin was ingested by the students and at this time we have an ongoing investigation,” Northern Regional Police Chief Robert Amann said.

Amann says the group of freshman and sophomores took the dangerous mixture on school property. However, it’s unclear at this point which of the students brought the medicine to school.

Five of the students were taken to UPMC Passavant as a precaution.

According to the district's superintendent Dr. James Manley, several teachers noticed that some students were acting strangely this morning.

“Just a little incoherent, not really responding to questions and those kinds of things like they would normally do, which made our administrative staff here at the high school very suspicious,” Manley said.

Amann says police plan to talk to the students and their parents tomorrow to get a clearer picture of what happened.

Meantime, Manley says this is a problem suburban school districts across the country face.

“Our head is not buried in the sand, you know. This is a real issue facing young people today – drug abuse, addiction, it’s something we’re taking very, very seriously,” he said.

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_130213657.html

[Companion Cube]

why take robo at school in the first place.

[JitterBob]

Krazy, i got into soming verrrrry simular when I was at highschool. the media never cought wind of it though. I brought 4 or 5 boxes of triple C's to school one day and passed out 8 of them to my friend "Becky". 16 of the pills went to my friend "Jill". Well, "Jill" gave 8 of her pills to her friend "Lizzy". "Lizzy" thought she was dying and rated on me. All of my friends got suspended and I got expelled because when they pulled me into the office I had 2 boxes of triple C's in my jacket pocket.

school is NOT the place for DXM...

[Max Headroom]

Originally posted by JitterBob@May 11 2007, 11:41 AM
Krazy, i got into soming verrrrry simular when I was at highschool. the media never cought wind of it though. I brought 4 or 5 boxes of triple C's to school one day and passed out 8 of them to my friend "Becky". 16 of the pills went to my friend "Jill". Well, "Jill" gave 8 of her pills to her friend "Lizzy". "Lizzy" thought she was dying and rated on me. All of my friends got suspended and I got expelled because when they pulled me into the office I had 2 boxes of triple C's in my jacket pocket.

school is NOT the place for DXM...
NOWHERE is a place for triple Cs tsk tsk if youre gonna spread the love you shoulda went the dexalone route like me and my friend muahahaha

[drdªv€]

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9 Pine-Richland pupils 'high' on cough medicines

TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, May 10, 2007


Nine Pine-Richland students face disciplinary action after getting "high" on over-the-counter cough medicine Thursday at the high school.
Five students required hospital treatment after they took Robitussin cough medicine, Coricidin HBP cough and cold medicine, or a combination of the two, said district Superintendent James C. Manley.

They were released after treatment and sent home for the day, as were the other four who abused the medications, Manley said.

The nine high school students could face suspensions of three to 10 days -- or expulsion for the remainder of the school year, Manley said.
"Drug abuse in the schools is a major problem today," Manley said. "This is not a Pine-Richland problem. This is a community problem."

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America estimates that one out of 10 teens -- about 2 million -- has abused cough medicine to get high.

The high is caused by taking a large amount of dextromethorphan -- a common, active ingredient found in most cough medications. The ingredient is considered safe when taken in the recommended dosage, states the organization's Web site.

The practice of taking Coricidin tablets and chugging cough medicine is known as Robo-tripping or Skittling, the organization says.

Common effects include confusion, dizziness, double or blurred vision, slurred speech, loss of physical coordination, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, disorientation and numbness of fingers and toes, the Web site says.

The abuse of cough medicine has been going on for decades, said Debra Kehoe, executive director of the Alliance Against Drugs, a resource center that helps students and families in 23 area school districts -- including Pine-Richland -- receive help to combat a drug problem.

"Kids will use whatever they can that they think will get them high. Over-the-counter drugs are very easily accessible. That's the reason so many drug companies are putting them behind the counter," Kehoe said.

School starts at 7:30 a.m. at Pine-Richland High School. The first student was brought to the principal's office by a concerned teacher about 45 minutes later, Manley said.

"An alert teacher noticed the strange behavior and knew the student needed help," Manley said.

The student was treated by the school nurse while awaiting the arrival of paramedics to take him to a hospital, Manley said. Police also were summoned.

A short time later, Manley said, two more students were brought to the office with the same symptoms. Others soon followed.

"The positive thing is that the students were all cooperative, and their families now know there is a problem so they can get them the help they need," Manley said.

Manley said Northern Regional Police Department investigators are trying to determine if the students took the medication before or after they arrived at school.

Police also are trying to learn which students planned the mass usage of the medication, and if any others intended to take part.

"I just think it's sad," said sophomore Natalie Salibi, 15.

"It's a problem every district has to face at one time or another," said school board member Marilyn Reed. "That's why we have the drug alliance. Hopefully, it will help the people who need the help."

Jackie Fennell of Richland, the mother of a high school senior and an eighth-grader, said she isn't surprised by the incident.

"It's a high school, and there are drugs in school," Fennell said.

Erin Frye, a junior at Allegheny College in Meadville and a 2004 Pine-Richland graduate, has two younger brothers at the high school.

"My impression, from what I heard, is that there is more drug use than when I was in high school," Frye said. "Kids just don't take it seriously anymore. They feel there is no risk, that there's nothing wrong with it."


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburgh...y/s_507087.html (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/today/s_507087.html)

[drdªv€]

Pine-Richland Students Suspended Amid Apparent ODs
Northern Regional Police Chief Amann says the students were sickened after taking a mixture of cough syrup and coricidin.

GIBSONIA A group of high school students in the Pine-Richland School District are suspended after police and school officials say they apparently overdosed on a mixture of over-the-counter medications.

According to the district's superintendent Dr. James Manley, several teachers noticed that some students were acting strangely this morning.

Nine students – 7 boys and 2 girls -- were initially sent to the nurse's office; but six of them were then sent to UPMC Passavant Hospital as a precaution.

Northern Regional Police Chief Amann says the students were sickened after taking a mixture of cough syrup and coricidin.

At this point, officials are still trying to figure out who brought the medications in to school.

Manley says all 9 students have been suspended.

http://kdka.com/topstories/local_story_130161033.html