BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Administrators at North High School are looking to address rampant social media reports of supposed fentanyl overdoses among students.
Parents told 17 News of several students who received treatment over the last several days, but school officials said the incidents did not happen at the campus.
The social media postings claim as many as six students overdosed on the drug while at the school in the past week.
The concerns come after a student at a Hollywood high school died of an overdose at her school on Sept. 13 and after a Chipman Junior High student was arrested on Sept. 9 for allegedly bringing fentanyl to the campus.
One parent of a North High School student, Sasha Owens, told 17 News on Thursday that two of her daughters became sick after being given candy and a Rice Krispies treat while at school. The 15-year-old was taken by ambulance from North High School to a local hospital and the 16-year-old checked into a hospital on her own.
“My first daughter had a reaction, she tasted the candy, it tasted like metal, so she spit it out and shortly thereafter she passed out,” Owens told 17 News’ Jose Gaspar on Thursday afternoon.
Owens says both her daughters were discharged from the hospital by Thursday evening and their diagnoses listed as “opioid poisoning.”
Kern High School District spokesperson Erin Briscoe told 17 News a student was sent to a hospital on Thursday but that it was not fentanyl-related.
North High School also sent a message to parents saying there have been no fentanyl overdoses at the school.
“North High School is not aware of any student overdosing on fentanyl on our campus, though we have seen a recent uptick in marijuana use,” Principal Mark Balch said in a message to parents.
Administrators at North High School will hold a parent meeting in O’Neil Hall on Sept. 27 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The focus of the meeting will be to “help all community members recognize the dangers of drug abuse, including fentanyl.”