Parent wants drug search of school kids
October 16, 2007 - 6:34AM
A parent is calling for drug searches at school gates after three primary students swallowed suspected ecstasy tablets at a school south of Wollongong in NSW.
Two 10-year-old boys and an 11-year-old girl were taken to Shellharbour Hospital after swallowing the pills at Windang Public School on Monday afternoon.
The three were released on Monday night and are now recovering at home with their parents.
Police said early indications were that the girl handed out the tablets to the boys in the belief that they were strawberry lollies.
The mother of an eight-year-old girl at the school, who identified herself only as Veronica, told Macquarie Radio that drugs were not a major problem in the Windang area.
But she said Monday's incident highlighted the ever-present danger drugs posed to school students.
She called on police to work with schools to conduct drugs searches of students.
"What's got to happen is for the cops to be on the ball and start checking out these drug dealers who are supplying these kids," Veronica said.
"I think that ... all of the principals should be doing something about it at all schools, including high schools, to check their school bags, check their pockets to get a run on who's getting what from where and stop it."
Police recovered several tablets from the girl's bag and are testing them to confirm whether they are ecstasy.
Police later said that criminal charges were highly likely.
Chief Inspector Bob Noble said police would test other pills found at the school and believed to be from the same batch as those taken by the year five students.
"It's quite clear a criminal offence of some description has occurred by some person," Insp Noble said.
"Our inquiries support the assertion that they (the pills) may be ecstasy, however, they haven't been comprehensively tested at this stage.
"Detectives did seize a number of other tablets that weren't taken and inquiries at this stage indicate that they are the same type of tablet as those ingested by the students.
"I can't comment on whether they knew what they were or what they might have been but they probably didn't quite fully comprehend the gravity of the situation they found themselves in."
The students are believed to have experienced dizziness, but police have not given further details on the side-effects.
"This is a criminal investigation for the most part focusing on the origin of the tablets and how they came to be in the possession of the students," Insp Noble said.
"Our investigators today, or at such a time as they (the students) are well enough to do so, intend to speak with the children with the view to furthering their investigation."
The students are believed to have made a full recovery but are absent from school.
NSW Premier Morris Iemma says the situation is "deeply disturbing".
"It was a deeply disturbing incident, children that young with a drug like ecstasy.
"Yes, it's a big concern," he said.
"And the school will be fully cooperating with the police."
Education Minister John Della Bosca said the police investigation would include talking to the children's parents.
"It may lead, for all we know, to police action and prosecution," Mr Della Bosca said.
"This is a very unusual set of events, particularly for children this young."
