Suspensions handed out in
prescription drug incident
HOWELL — According to school and police officials, four students at Howell Middle School North, Squankum-Yellowbrook Road, received suspensions from school and subsequent police charges due to their alleged involvement in an exchange of prescription medication.
According to Howell Superintendent of Schools Dr. Enid Golden, the incident occurred at the school on the afternoon of Feb. 8.
Golden said she was informed that a female student had reported to the school nurse’s office complaining of abdominal pain. She said the juvenile was afraid that she was having a reaction to a drug she had taken and told the school nurse she had ingested a prescription pill she received from another student.
Golden said additional questioning by school administrators revealed that at least two other juveniles also reportedly took the pills, which were a medication prescribed for hyperactivity issued in the name of the student who was alleged to have dispensed the pills.
The superintendent said the medication was not Ritalin, but declined to say what it was.
Howell Police Detective Paul Hendershot said that in addition to the juvenile in whose name the prescription had been issued being charged with distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, all four students received charges of possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
"What we had here was poor judgment and a violation of administration policy," Golden said, adding that the bad decision by the one student to bring the pills to school was compounded by a "further bad decision to give the meds to other students and their decision to take them."
Golden said blood tests were done on all four students "to be on the safe side." No results of the tests were available by press time this week.
The superintendent went on to note that one of the stipulations made by the school administrators in order for the students to be allowed to return to school was that they bring a doctor’s note confirming they were able to return.
Golden said because the incident involved juveniles the initial call from school authorities to police also brought a response from Howell’s fire and emergency services responders. The students were released into the custody of their parents with no emergency medical transport necessary, she said.
The superintendent said she wanted to make the incident a reminder to all parents and students of the district’s prescription drug policy.
Golden said no medications — prescription or over-the-counter — are to be carried on school grounds by students or individually dispensed even to the person in whose name the prescription was issued.
She said all medications are to be reported to the school nurse, who will hold the medications and dispense them at the appropriate times. She said any deviation from the policy can result in suspension from school and possible police involvement.