MARGATE, FLA. (WSVN) - Four students at Margate Middle School were hospitalized after eating snacks suspected to be laced with marijuana, officials said.
According to Margate Fire Rescue, seven to eight students were exposed on Wednesday to the edible snacks on campus.
Four of them were transported to a hospital, while the others were released to their parents.
All of the students are in stable condition and are expected to be OK.
Authorities said it is unclear what type of snacks the students ate, but preliminary indications suggest they contained marijuana.
In a statement, Broward County Public School officials said:
The school’s administration confirmed several students were treated and four students were transported for medical evaluation today after consuming candy or food believed to have been laced with an unknown substance. Out of an abundance of caution, emergency services were contacted immediately and students received appropriate care. School and District administrators are working with authorities to determine the source of the food and ensure student safety. Parents are reminded to speak to their child(ren) about not sharing or eating food or candy that does not come from home and to report anything concerning to a trusted adult.
Parents told 7News they received a note from the school informing them that some students were having trouble breathing.
Others said they were shocked to hear what had happened.
“Thank God they are fine, but it could’ve been worse,” said parent Shane Smith.
“That’s crazy, man. I hope all those kids are all right. These kids are exposed to a lot nowadays with the internet, so we got to be careful and watch what’s going on in their phones. Hopefully, they’re all right,” said parent Merrick Brown.
“I think it’s crazy. I don’t know how they get it or from where they get it, but it’s crazy. Wow,” said student Mariyah Brown. “Some people were saying, ‘Some kids had edibles or something like that,’ but I didn’t hear much about it.”
The incident remains under investigation.
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