A possible drug overdose during an afterschool party at a San Jose school has left many parents concerned and frightened.
Multiple sources tell NBC Bay Area the incident occurred Thursday evening when two students had to be hospitalized after suffering an apparent drug overdose at a Sheppard Middle School Halloween party. One source familiar with the case said it was an over-the-counter drug the students took.
The school district was not disclosing Monday what drug the teenagers are suspected of taking. District officials said they have launched an investigation.
In an email to NBC Bay Area, the superintendent said the district is limited in the specific details it can share and are taking the matter seriously. The superintendent also said the district is working to determine any necessary follow-up actions.
Both students involved are seventh graders at Sheppard Middle School. Both students are out of the hospital and recovering at home, according to the superintendent.
“This absolutely concerning. We are talking about teens,” said Harsha Ramchandani, a chief medical officer at Bay Area Community Health.
Ramchandani is not involved with the Sheppard Middle School teens, but said over-the-counter drugs can cause serious harm if not taken cautiously — drugs like Benadryl and cough medicine, including Tylenol.
“That can cause hallucinations, dangerous heart rhythms, seizure, coma, even death,” she said.
Ramchandani said an overdose occurs when the body is not able to handle the drugs a person ingests. The doctor said there was a 31% increase in child exposure to Benadryl, according to the CDC.
An exposure is when a parent or a school official called the National Poison Control hotline to report a child has come in contact with the drug.
