Students at Saint Stephen’s College, Upper Coomera, have reportedly overdosed
Two students at a Gold Coast private school have reportedly overdosed on some prescription medication belonging to a parent.
Gold Coast
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PARAMEDICS have rushed to a suspected drug overdose at a Gold Coast private school that was the scene of a mass overdose last year.
The two 15-year-old male students at Saint Stephen’s College at Upper Coomera are feared to have taken a liquid morphine-type substance, possibly a type of back pain medication.
Senior paramedic Angela Potts said the two boys had presented to school nurses with suspected drug overdose symptoms.
“They’ve alerted us, we’ve found that they (the students) have potentially ingested a substance,” she said.
“Both boys have been found to be stable with their vital signs and have been transported to hospital.”
One of the boys was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital and the other to Pindara Private.
Ms Potts said: “Drugs of any description can be dangerous, especially in youth.”
In a letter sent to parents, headmaster Jamie Dorrington said a senior student had taken some prescription medication belonging to a parent.
“The medicine made him vomit,” Mr Dorrington wrote.
Some parents expressed relief the students were OK but others slammed the boys.
“They obviously are pretty stupid,” one posted on the Saint Stephen’s Facebook page.
“It’s just not really respectful not only to themselves & their parents but to the school and its rules! If they have to take their parents drugs, do it at home and let the parents deal with them. Not fair, totally selfish children!”
Another said students had just had a ‘big drugs talk’ last week ‘and they are all aware after last year’s episode (mass overdose)’.
“These kids are all almost 16, I don’t get the part about taking drugs AT school, what’s with that????”
The Child Protection Investigation Unit is heading to the school to investigate the circumstances that led to the suspected overdose.
Saint Stephen’s was the scene of a mass overdose in February last year when seven students took the Russian designer drug Phenibut.
Four of the students were left in a critical condition but made a full recovery.
The seven students involved in that overdose were later expelled from the school, including the son of a prominent Gold Coast businessman.
Mr Dorrington said that today’s incident was “not related” in any way to last year’s events.
Originally published as Students at Saint Stephen’s College, Upper Coomera, have reportedly overdosed
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