Three eighth-graders from a Lakewood middle school have been charged with possession of a controlled substance after one of them allegedly brought a powerful prescription painkiller to school earlier this month.
The Jefferson County district attorney’s office said that two girls and a boy have been charged with possession of the drug Dilaudid.
Investigators believe that Dilaudid had been prescribed for an adult family member of one of the girls, said Pam Russell, spokesperson for DA Scott Storey.
A teacher at Carmody Middle School became suspicious when she saw a girl hand something to a boy in a hallway on Feb. 8.
The teacher told the school’s assistant principal what she saw. He called the boy and girl into his office and then called Lakewood police.
Russell said police and school officials found only four tablets but believe that one of the girls may have flushed another tablet down a toilet after she heard that her friends had been called to the principal’s office.
“We strongly advise parents to take the necessary steps to keep narcotics away from their children,” said Storey. “These drugs are very powerful and can be dangerous. Young teens are very naive about prescription drugs and have no understanding about the danger they present.”
Dilaudid is used to relieve moderate to severe pain.
However, it has dangerous side effects in some people. It especially affects people with respiratory problems and uncontrolled asthma.
It also can cause mood changes, anxiety, inability to urinate and vomiting.
The Lakewood case follows two cases in Castle Rock where students brought powerful prescription painkillers to school. The first also occurred on Feb. 8, when eight high school students in Castle Rock were taken to a local hospital after swallowing pills containing Oxycodone.
Oxycodone is given for moderate to severe pain and also is prescribed for post-surgery relief.
Castle Rock police said that the student accused of bringing the drug to school could be charged with possession of a controlled substance.
On Feb. 25, a 13-year-old Castle Rock Middle School student allegedly gave three of her father’s Vicodin pills to a 15-year-old sophomore.
The 15-year-old then is believed to have given one of the pills to a 14-year-old.
Vicodin also is a painkiller used to relieve moderate to severe pain.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
