Students caught illegally giving out prescription drugs - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Students caught illegally giving out prescription drugs

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March 4, 2004

It's a growing trend, teenagers abusing prescription drugs such as Ritalin. Recently, several south Georgia Middle School students were caught giving drugs to friends.

Ritalin, a pill used to calm the hyper. Pharmacist Thomas McSwain adds, "Very addictive if not used for the right purposes or the right circumstances."

McSwain is also the owner of Davis Drug Company in Albany. He says if you take Ritalin, or a similar pill, and you're not supposed to the pills can speed your heart, making you hyper. He says, "They [users] either take it orally or crush it and inhale it through the nose like you would cocaine."

Side effects include, high blood pressure, heart problems and at a worst case scenario coma or death. McSwain adds, "Yes, very dangerous."

On January 28th, a 13-year-old Mitchell County Middle School boy gave a 14-year-old girl Ritalin at school. They were both charged with Distribution and Possession of a Controlled Substance.

A few weeks later, at the same school, an 11-year-old attempted to give Metadate CD, which is similar to Ritalin, to other students. He was charged with Distribution of a Controlled Substance.

A parent of one of the involved students says the nurse let the students get their medication from drawers without paying attention to what they were doing. School Superintendent Dr. Dan McIntyre would not comment on the situation

Even if that's true, drug agents say that doesn't change the fact that one student illegally gave another pills and that's a problem they want to stop.

Also at Mitchell County Middle School, on January 14th, a 13-year-old boy was caught giving a 12-year-old boy a marijuana cigarette. Both students were charged with Distribution of Marijuana in a School.

posted at 1:55PM by kathryn.simmons@walb.com