Los Angeles, California – Ten Van Nuys Middle School students were evaluated Thursday morning after possibly overdosing on cannabis.
The students were ages 12 to 15, experienced mild to moderate symptoms, and seven of them were taken to a local hospital, reports KTLA and KABC. Authorities say the students were lethargic and had a glazed-over look. All of the hospitalized students were released from the hospital by Thursday evening, reports Fox6.
Authorities believe the students might have consumed edible cannabis, not fentanyl. An investigation is ongoing as to how the substance got on campus and into the hands of so many students.
The incident began at about 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, when first responders were called to the scene. The campus temporarily went into lockdown, and some parents rushed to the school. Despite the ordeal, classes continued that day.
“We take the health and safety of our students very seriously,” according to a statement from the Los Angeles Unified School District. “Every effort is made to ensure our students learn in a safe environment. Los Angeles Unified maintains an ongoing partnership with local health agencies, community partners and medical experts to provide training to school staff and education for our school communities.”
Back in September, the Los Angeles Department of Public Health issued a health alert about counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl after four adolescents were found overdosed following purchasing counterfeit narcotic pills at Lexington Park, including one student found dead on campus at Bernstein High School in Hollywood on September 13.
