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04-17-2004, 03:27 PM
Four Gulf Coast High School students were hospitalized Friday after taking large amounts of an over-the-counter cold and cough medicine, a type of substance abuse the Collier County School District — like many schools nationwide — is seeing more often.
Three of the students were in stable condition at North Collier Hospital and one was released.
The students — two 16-year-old females, a 16-year-old male and a 14-year-old female — took several Coricidin pills, an over-the-counter medication that contains dextromethorphan, which produces an “extreme state of drunkenness,” Collier County sheriff’s spokeswoman Sheri Mausen said.
“This seems to be the trendy thing right now amongst teens and even preteens,” she said.
Authorities said that at about 9:25 a.m., a female student in the gymnasium appeared lethargic and said she was not feeling well. She told school officials she had taken Coricidin, also known as Triple C, and that another female student had been distributing the drug.
Mausen said the drugs are not illegal, and therefore no criminal investigation would be started.
“One student did say she was supposed to pay for them (the pills) at the end of the day, but we don’t know if money was exchanged,” she said.
District Assistant Superintendent Michele Lugo said school officials would meet with the students next week to determine what disciplinary action would be taken.
She said that at the very least the students would be suspended. Neither the school nor law enforcement authorities would release their names.
“There definitely was a violation. Students are not allowed to carry medication on the campus,” said Lugo, who added that parents of students who need medication must drop it off at the office. “If a kid has a pill, we don’t know what it is.”
Friday’s incident was the Collier district’s third case in eight months.
The first case of Coricidin abuse occurred in September, when seven students at Pine Ridge Middle School were caught with the substance. A second case occurred at Immokalee High School in November.
In December, USA Today published a story about these first two Coricidin incidents in Collier County.
According to USA Today, a 13-year-old Pine Ridge Middle School girl brought about 80 Coricidin pills to campus and gave six of her friends at least five pills each. The recommended dosage for adults is no more than one pill every six hours. Two students lost consciousness in their first-period classes and were later hospitalized. In November at Immokalee High School, a 15-year-old girl was airlifted to a nearby hospital after taking five Coricidin pills before school, USA Today reported.
The abuse of Coricidin has gained nationwide notoriety in recent months.
In January, the ABC television show “20/20” aired a report focusing on the increasing problem of teens abusing Coricidin. During the show, several youths spoke about how easy it was to get the drug and described the high they felt after taking several pills.
Some students at Gulf Coast High School worried that abuse of Coricidin could get out of control at their school.
“It’s easy to get,” 16-year-old Yaremi Fariñas said. She said school authorities went to her class and took away one of the students suspected of using the drug.
“People like that in our school, why do we want it?” Fariñas said, and added that most students were aware of the incident. But 15-year old J.R. McDonald, a freshman, said it’s all being blown out of proportion.
“People do it, but it’s not as big of a problem as it seems like,” he said.
Sophomore Gaby Arciniega disagreed. She said students are remaining tight-lipped about the abuse.
“There’s people that sell it, but they keep it between themselves,” the 16-year-old said.
Story Here; http://www.news-press.com/news/local_state...7drugabuse.html (http://www.news-press.com/news/local_state/040417drugabuse.html)
Three of the students were in stable condition at North Collier Hospital and one was released.
The students — two 16-year-old females, a 16-year-old male and a 14-year-old female — took several Coricidin pills, an over-the-counter medication that contains dextromethorphan, which produces an “extreme state of drunkenness,” Collier County sheriff’s spokeswoman Sheri Mausen said.
“This seems to be the trendy thing right now amongst teens and even preteens,” she said.
Authorities said that at about 9:25 a.m., a female student in the gymnasium appeared lethargic and said she was not feeling well. She told school officials she had taken Coricidin, also known as Triple C, and that another female student had been distributing the drug.
Mausen said the drugs are not illegal, and therefore no criminal investigation would be started.
“One student did say she was supposed to pay for them (the pills) at the end of the day, but we don’t know if money was exchanged,” she said.
District Assistant Superintendent Michele Lugo said school officials would meet with the students next week to determine what disciplinary action would be taken.
She said that at the very least the students would be suspended. Neither the school nor law enforcement authorities would release their names.
“There definitely was a violation. Students are not allowed to carry medication on the campus,” said Lugo, who added that parents of students who need medication must drop it off at the office. “If a kid has a pill, we don’t know what it is.”
Friday’s incident was the Collier district’s third case in eight months.
The first case of Coricidin abuse occurred in September, when seven students at Pine Ridge Middle School were caught with the substance. A second case occurred at Immokalee High School in November.
In December, USA Today published a story about these first two Coricidin incidents in Collier County.
According to USA Today, a 13-year-old Pine Ridge Middle School girl brought about 80 Coricidin pills to campus and gave six of her friends at least five pills each. The recommended dosage for adults is no more than one pill every six hours. Two students lost consciousness in their first-period classes and were later hospitalized. In November at Immokalee High School, a 15-year-old girl was airlifted to a nearby hospital after taking five Coricidin pills before school, USA Today reported.
The abuse of Coricidin has gained nationwide notoriety in recent months.
In January, the ABC television show “20/20” aired a report focusing on the increasing problem of teens abusing Coricidin. During the show, several youths spoke about how easy it was to get the drug and described the high they felt after taking several pills.
Some students at Gulf Coast High School worried that abuse of Coricidin could get out of control at their school.
“It’s easy to get,” 16-year-old Yaremi Fariñas said. She said school authorities went to her class and took away one of the students suspected of using the drug.
“People like that in our school, why do we want it?” Fariñas said, and added that most students were aware of the incident. But 15-year old J.R. McDonald, a freshman, said it’s all being blown out of proportion.
“People do it, but it’s not as big of a problem as it seems like,” he said.
Sophomore Gaby Arciniega disagreed. She said students are remaining tight-lipped about the abuse.
“There’s people that sell it, but they keep it between themselves,” the 16-year-old said.
Story Here; http://www.news-press.com/news/local_state...7drugabuse.html (http://www.news-press.com/news/local_state/040417drugabuse.html)