3 students hospitalized for cold meds

Three Horizon Science Academy students were hospitalized Tuesday after taking over-the-counter cold medication, including one female student who may have taken 12 capsules, said Maj. Daryl Wilson of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Wilson said deputies are “looking at now how they even got the medicine.”

A male student provided the medication to two other students, said James Jackson, deans of students at the school. One student had an allergic reaction to the medication, he said.

“I don’t know what the actual intentions were. I can’t say they were to get high,” Jackson said, calling the students’ actions “irresponsible.” He said at least one student actually took medication for a cold.

The students were removed from the school as a “precautionary measure,” Jackson said.

“It’s against any school rules to give out any type of medication,” he said. “Our policy is any medication has to come with a doctor’s release. At that time they give it to the nurse’s office and the nurse is the only one that can distribute them, which is why the students have been removed.”

Authorities could bring juveniles charges in the case, but early in their investigation did not have enough information to determine whether charges would be warranted, Wilson said.

“We’re still trying to work with the school to find out what charges we might bring,” he said.

The students’ names, ages and grade levels of the students were not released. They were taken to Dayton Children’s Hospital, but a spokeswoman said they would not release information about their conditions because of privacy laws.

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