OVERDOSE SHOCK

Four teens rushed to hospital ‘took Xanax’ before class

FOUR Southport State High School students as young as 12 were rushed to hospital yesterday after overdosing on a prescription sedative. The Bulletin has been told the teens took Xanax – a drug used to treat panic and anxiety – from a parent’s medicine cabinet.

THE four teenage Southport State High School students rushed to hospital yesterday are understood to have overdosed on a prescription sedative.

It is understood the Year 8 students, some as young as 12 years old, took the prescription pills before class yesterday morning, according to police sources.

Police insiders believe the children took valium pills. Students of the school said on social media yesterday that the drugs were Xanax, a prescription drug used to treat panic and anxiety.

A friend of one of the students said one girl took eight pills and another took four pills.

The Bulletin has been told it is suspected the pills were brought in by one of the girls from a parent’s medicine cabinet at home.

Police are investigating. Paramedics, who said the group was all females, were contacted as a precaution shortly after 8.30am when a child began to feel sick.

It is understood another three were transported to hos- pital between 1.30 and 2.30pm.

One student said they saw a girl taken past their classroom supported by two people.

The Education Department confirmed emergency services had attended the school but refused to provide further details, citing privacy issues.

“The health and wellbeing of students is the department’s highest priority and the school will continue to work with authorities as the incident is investigated,” a department spokesman said.

While it is not clear exactly what drug the girls took, students outside of the school spoke about the drug Xanax.

Teenagers referred to the drug as “Xanies”, a slang term for the pharmaceutical that they said they had heard referenced in US rap music.

Quizzed whether they knew what effects the drug actually had, one student said: “I don’t know”.

Students were surprised their schoolmates, especially ones so young, were able to access any drugs.

One student said they were shocked anyone at their school would use drugs.

“I don't how people could even get a hold of it at that age,” they said.

“Our school doesn’t even have a rep(utation) for that; we like to think we’re a bit more mature than that.”

As of late yesterday afternoon one of the girls had been released.

The others had been kept for observation.

Friends of the four girls hospitalised shared on social media that they had gone to Gold Coast University to visit them just after school, about 3.30pm.

Bonney MP Sam O’Conner, who attends the school’s P & C meetings, said he was shocked at yesterday’s incident.

“This is any school’s worst nightmare and my thoughts are with the students and their parents,” Mr O’Conner said.

“Southport High is a great school and they should not be judged by a single incident and I have every confidence in their exceptional teaching staff.

“It’s a huge shock when things like this happen but it’s a reminder that we can and must do better to understand how our kids see drugs. We need to have more open conversations with young people to prevent further incidents like this,” he said.

IT’S A REMINDER THAT WE CAN AND MUST DO BETTER TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR KIDS SEE DRUGS SAM O’CONNER