8 Antioch students hospitalized for taking pills return to class
Eight of ten students hospitalized Tuesday for coming into contact with painkillers at Antioch Upper Grade School were back in class Wednesday, authorities said late Wednesday night.
A ninth student remains hospitalized, said Antioch police Sgt. Rick Moritz. However, he said, her hospitalization is not for ingesting the hydrocodone/acetaminophen pill that was passed out by a 13-year-old female student Tuesday morning.
He added the girl who brought the pill to the school was also treated and released from Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. However, he said, the student was advised to not return to the school at 800 Highview Drive until after the investigation is complete.
Moritz said the student took the medication from her mother's prescription bottle earlier that morning.
He said not all 10 of the students ingested a hydrocodone tablet, but all students who either ingested or touched the pills were taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons. However, he said, one student did vomit at the school after ingesting a pill Tuesday.
He added charges are possible.
“The staff at AUGS treated the incident in a very professional manner, keeping the safety of the students first and contacting the Antioch Fire Department and Antioch Police Department immediately upon the knowledge of the potential health concerns for the students involved,” Moritz said in an email late Wednesday night.
District 34 Superintendent Greg Buchanan said he was not allowed to discuss the matter due to student confidentiality, but he added via email the district “is carefully monitoring the situation and taking appropriate actions to make sure that all students in our schools are safe.”
Police, firefighter and parents were notified about 11:30 a.m. that the students had come into contact with the medication at the school. Antioch Upper Grade School serves students from sixth to eighth grades.
Ambulances from six area departments assisted Antioch rescue crews at the school to move the students to Condell.