7 students at LA middle school discharged from hospital after suspected overdose
By Taylor Romine, CNN
Seven students who were hospitalized Thursday for a suspected drug overdose at a Los Angeles-area middle school are in stable condition, and have been discharged, the Los Angeles Unfied School District (LAUSD) said in a statement Friday.
The students were sent to the hospital on Thursday after experiencing “mild-to-moderate distress” following a suspected overdose of an unknown substance, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a release.
Officials “cannot confirm what substance was consumed,” a statement from the LAUSD said. Out of “an abundance of caution,” the school requested medical assistance for the students, the district said.
But, the incident did not involve fentanyl, they added.
Authorities responded Thursday morning to Van Nuys Middle School on reports of “multiple students with medical complaints,” according to a tweet from LAFD.
Ten students between ages 12 and 15 were evaluated for a suspected overdose and were “found to be in mild-to-moderate distress,” according to LAFD. Seven students were sent to hospitals specializing in pediatric medicine and three others were released.
Authorities and school personnel “systematically searched the entire school premises” to make sure no other sick students were unaccounted for, LAFD said.
The district said that despite the incident the school is “safe and open for instruction.”
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CNN’s Mallika Kallingal contributed to this report