16 Henrico middle school students charged in prescription drug case
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
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Reader Reactions
dee65, I suggest, you see the movie TRAFFIC.
Dee65, for you to say that this type of action would only happen in the east end is a very ignorant statement. I grew up in the east end and was raised by hard working parents. I have never touched or sold any type of illegal drug or abused prescription drugs nor do I plan to start. Children can get a hold to any type of drugs no matter what side of town they reside. Elite or not, they will find a way to get what they want.
dee65~ there is nothing elite about any public school no matter where it is located it is still PUBLIC. Those kids are no different than kids at every other public school. The elite schools in the area Steward, Collegiate etc..there is no telling it could be going in there too!
dee65, you are too quick to jump on conclusion. These are not private schools like St. Christopher or Collegiate. They just happen to be in west end where majority students do come from above avreage income families but also these schools do have some students whose family background is not much different than those live in city of Richmond. RTD hasn’t disclosed any detail information about families yet. So wait, you may be surprised.
Wow, and these are the “elite” students of the West End, poor babies. I thought this kind of thing only happened in the East End where parents are too busy WORKING to pay attention to what their kids do. Goes to show drugs don’t discriminate and some stay at home moms are too busy getting medi-pedis to figure out their kids are mini-drug dealers.
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