10 Middle Schoolers Treated for 'Suspected Overdose' in California
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Los Angeles paramedics responded to a "suspected overdose" incident involving nearly a dozen students at Van Nuys Middle School on Thursday.
Ten students between the ages of 12 and 15 years old were found at the school "in mild-to-moderate distress," per a release by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Seven students were transported to local hospitals, while three were treated and released on the scene.
An LAFD spokesperson for the department told NBC Los Angeles that the overdoses possibly involved "edible cannabis products," though the department's official release only states that the incident was not fentanyl related.
The fire department said it searched the rest of the school to make sure that there weren't any other students who needed medical attention that were unaccounted for.
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"Today, we were made aware of a group of students who suffered a medical incident at our school," a spokesperson for Los Angeles Unified School District said in a statement to PEOPLE. "In an abundance of caution, we requested medical assistance."
The spokesperson said they cannot yet confirm what the substance was that the students took as that "is still under investigation." They also noted that Narcan — which is used to treat an opioid overdose — was not administered to any of the students based on a preliminary evaluation.
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"We take the health and safety of our students very seriously," the spokesperson added. "Our students are always encouraged to speak with our school staff if they are feeling unwell or need assistance."
A 12-year-old student named Christopher Angel told the Los Angeles Times that he heard some of his classmates had eaten edibles.
"Only three people were drugged in my class," he told the Times. "They were acting weird, tired, high."
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Under California state law, only those over the age of 21 are allowed to purchase cannabis, and those between the ages of 18 and 21 can also do so but only with a physician's recommendation. Smoking cannabis is also illegal within 1,000 feet of a school, day care center or youth center while kids are present.
According to Poison Control, a child that eats even a small amount of THC — the ingredient in cannabis edibles — can experience dangerous symptoms like vomiting, dizziness and difficulty breathing.
