16 Henrico middle school students face drug charges involving Adderall

Sixteen students from Byrd and Tuckahoe middle schools in Henrico County have been charged with distributing and/or possessing the prescription drug Adderall, a psychostimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Henrico police have brought a total of 32 charges against the 16 students stemming from the distribution of the drug on April 24 and April 30, said Henrico police Lt. Gary Watson.

Thirteen Byrd students have been charged with 24 offenses, and three Tuckahoe students have been charged with eight offenses. Authorities did not give the ages of the students, but those in middle school typically range from age 11 to 14.

"Initially, all the prescription drugs came from this one person, who happened to be a student at Tuckahoe Middle School," Watson said.

The Tuckahoe student passed the drug to other students at Tuckahoe and Byrd, and those students then distributed the drug to other friends, Watson said. The drug was distributed at both schools April 24, and again at Byrd on April 30. "No permanent injuries resulted from the incidents," Watson said.

Rescue units were summoned to the schools after school officials realized that some students had consumed the drug on campus. "I think they brought each student in that said they had taken some Adderall and checked their vitals," Watson said.

"The school administration and staff took immediate and appropriate disciplinary action in this situation," said Henrico school spokesman Mychael Dickerson. "They are also encouraging parents to partner with them to make children aware of the dangers of all drugs, including prescription medications."

Adderall is a central-nervous system stimulant that affects chemicals in the brain and nerves that contribute to hyperactivity and impulse control, according to Drugs.com, a drug information Web site. Adderall, it says, is a composite of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine and is used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy.

Also, according to Drugs.com, Adderall can be abused and may be habit-forming. Improper use can cause serious side effects on the heart and death, according to the Web site.

After the incidents, Henrico school officials sent out letters to parents inviting them to a town-hall-style meeting Thursday to discuss prescription-drug abuse. The event will be hosted by Henrico's Too Smart to Start Coalition.

Contact Mark Bowes at (804) 649-6450 or .