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03-06-2004, 05:59 PM
Four eighth-grade girls at A. MacArthur Barr Middle School were treated at Nyack Hospital yesterday morning, three after apparently abusing over-the-counter cough medication, and the fourth after swallowing prescription pills.
Three of the girls had taken up to 20 cough pills each, while the other took 1 1/2 pills of amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, a drug used to treat hyperactive disorder, police and Nanuet school officials said. It was unclear if the incidents were related.
Middle School PTA President Rhonda Gomez said she heard the girls had been released from the hospital in the afternoon and were "fine." Officials would not comment on the girls' conditions.
Taking an excessive dose of cough medicine is called "robo-tripping," borrowing its name from the over-the-counter cough medicine Robitussin, Clarkstown Sgt. Harry Baumann said. Excessive doses of cough medicine can get people high.
"It's fairly new. It's just starting to show up on the Web sites. This is the first time I've heard of it in Rockland," he said. "Now that it's come to light, we're starting to research it."
Police were sent to the middle school on Church Street at 9:42 a.m. after school officials reported a medical emergency, Clarkstown police Sgt. Joseph Reiter said.
Three girls, ages 13 and 14, were in the nurse's office. They were lethargic with flushed faces and dilated pupils, according to the police report. Paramedics were called and the girls were taken to the hospital about 10:15 a.m.
About 11 a.m., the ambulance was again called to the middle school to take the fourth girl to the hospital.
Reiter said that case was still under investigation and details were unavailable.
"The school staff noticed in each of them some symptoms and got them down to the nurse's office, and they were immediately taken to the hospital," Schools Superintendent Mark McNeill said. "What we don't know is where they got the medication.
At 12:30 p.m., he said: "The kids are OK. We're drafting a letter that will be mailed today to give everybody the facts." The school has 165 students in the eighth grade.
McNeill said Principal Roger Guccione followed the children to the hospital and returned shortly before lunchtime to tell students and staff what happened.
Gomez said information about the incident was sent home from the school with her son. She said that she was shocked to hear the news and that students also appeared to be shocked.
"All the students were made aware of it. They had an assembly to let them know what happened," she said. "I think it's important that the kids have an idea what their peers are up to. I think it shook them up today."
Read Complete Story http://www.nyjournalnews.com/newsroom/0306...a0106drugs.html (http://www.nyjournalnews.com/newsroom/030604/a0106drugs.html)
Three of the girls had taken up to 20 cough pills each, while the other took 1 1/2 pills of amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, a drug used to treat hyperactive disorder, police and Nanuet school officials said. It was unclear if the incidents were related.
Middle School PTA President Rhonda Gomez said she heard the girls had been released from the hospital in the afternoon and were "fine." Officials would not comment on the girls' conditions.
Taking an excessive dose of cough medicine is called "robo-tripping," borrowing its name from the over-the-counter cough medicine Robitussin, Clarkstown Sgt. Harry Baumann said. Excessive doses of cough medicine can get people high.
"It's fairly new. It's just starting to show up on the Web sites. This is the first time I've heard of it in Rockland," he said. "Now that it's come to light, we're starting to research it."
Police were sent to the middle school on Church Street at 9:42 a.m. after school officials reported a medical emergency, Clarkstown police Sgt. Joseph Reiter said.
Three girls, ages 13 and 14, were in the nurse's office. They were lethargic with flushed faces and dilated pupils, according to the police report. Paramedics were called and the girls were taken to the hospital about 10:15 a.m.
About 11 a.m., the ambulance was again called to the middle school to take the fourth girl to the hospital.
Reiter said that case was still under investigation and details were unavailable.
"The school staff noticed in each of them some symptoms and got them down to the nurse's office, and they were immediately taken to the hospital," Schools Superintendent Mark McNeill said. "What we don't know is where they got the medication.
At 12:30 p.m., he said: "The kids are OK. We're drafting a letter that will be mailed today to give everybody the facts." The school has 165 students in the eighth grade.
McNeill said Principal Roger Guccione followed the children to the hospital and returned shortly before lunchtime to tell students and staff what happened.
Gomez said information about the incident was sent home from the school with her son. She said that she was shocked to hear the news and that students also appeared to be shocked.
"All the students were made aware of it. They had an assembly to let them know what happened," she said. "I think it's important that the kids have an idea what their peers are up to. I think it shook them up today."
Read Complete Story http://www.nyjournalnews.com/newsroom/0306...a0106drugs.html (http://www.nyjournalnews.com/newsroom/030604/a0106drugs.html)