SCHOOL LINKS 10 PUPILS TO DRUG

Painkiller Was Passed Around by Girl at Jennie F. Snapp

ENDICOTT -- Ten Jennie F. Snapp Middle School pupils face disciplinary
action following an incident involving prescription drugs, school officials
said Thursday.

A girl brought painkillers prescribed to her stepfather to school Wednesday
without the stepfather's knowledge, Union-Endicott Superintendent James P.
Coon said. The girl, who may have been assisted by another pupil, gave the
pills to other pupils, all seventh- and eighth-graders, ages 13 and 14.

Five ingested at least one pill, while four others put the pills in their
pockets but didn't take them. The girl who brought them in didn't take any
pills.

School officials called the Union Volunteer Emergency Squad around 2:30
p.m. Wednesday. Three teens were taken to Wilson Memorial Regional Medical
Center or Lourdes Hospital, based on factors such as their age, weight and
the amount of pills taken, Coon said. None of the teens took more than two
pills, and no one overdosed or was in a life-threatening situation, he said.

"Our major concern was to make sure these kids were OK," Coon said.

All of the teens will face disciplinary action that could include
suspension, depending on their roles in the incident, Coon said.

"We have zero tolerance for drugs in school," he said.

Principal Ann Marie Bertrand and a counselor met Thursday with parents of
all the affected pupils, Coon said. School officials will continue working
with parents to connect pupils with any services they may need, he said.

All Jennie F. Snapp parents will be notified of the incident through a
letter sent home after an investigation by Endicott police is completed,
Coon said.

Union-Endicott already has several antidrug programs in place at all grade
levels, including Drug Abuse Resistance Education and peer educators, Coon
said.

"We do as much prevention as we possibly can," he said.

Incidents involving pain killers are becoming more common because
health-care providers are writing more prescriptions for them, said Barry
Schecter, coordinator of outpatient services at New Horizons Chemical
Dependency Treatment Program of United Health Services Hospitals.

Middle school pupils are entering adolescence, a time of experimentation
for many teens, he said.

"At that age, kids try lots of different things to try and find their place
in the world," he said.

Middle school can be a difficult transition for many pupils, Bertrand said.

"At early adolescence, students face a lot of issues," which may be social,
emotional and academic in nature, she said. "It's our mission to serve kids
in all those areas."

Some teens may not feel well emotionally, Schecter said.

"Taking drugs is an easy way to change that feeling," he said.

Tips for Parents

* Spend time with children.

* Be involved in their lives.

* If you see changes in behavior such as increased sleeping, ask about it
but don't accuse.

* Keep medication locked up or out of their reach.

Source: Barry Schecter of New Horizons Chemical Dependency Treatment Program