4 Students Suffer Sudden Medical Emergency At Valley High School

LOS ANGELES, CA — Four high school students suffered simultaneous medical emergencies at Canoga Park High School Wednesday morning, and one was hospitalized. The emergency raised concerns that another mass overdose may have occurred at a Los Angeles Unified School District campus for the second time this month.

However, school district officials said they could not identify the nature of the medical emergency for privacy reasons.

"All four students are safe," a Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson told NBC Los Angeles. "One was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. Due to privacy and confidentiality laws, we cannot disclose additional information about this incident. The student’s parents have been notified. Canoga Park High School campus remains safe and open for instruction."

According to ABC7, police initially reported the emergency as a possible drug overdose from an unknown substance and eventually concluded that the substance was marijuana. The Los Angeles Police Department could not confirm the report.

"Due to privacy and confidentiality laws, we cannot disclose additional information about this incident," the Los Angeles School Police Department said in a written release.

Police and paramedics were called to the school shortly before 11 a.m. to treat four students. The students' parents have all been notified. The school remained open throughout the day.

Los Angeles Unified School District officials and parents in the community remain on edge due to a series of serious and fatal overdoses involving young teens and school athletes. Many fentanyl overdoses have involved youths who did not know they were ingesting the chemical. Rather, they thought they were trying drugs such as marijuana, opioid pills, and ecstasy.

Earlier this month, a 17-year-old musician and high school baseball player from Woodland Hills died from a fentanyl overdose. Last month, 15-year-old Melanie Ramos, died on the floor of a girls' bathroom on the campus at Bernstein High School in Hollywood after overdosing on fentanyl on Sept. 13. Her friend was found nearby suffering from an overdose. They were among a spate of seven fentanyl overdoses linked to a Hollywood campus in September. Two teens were arrested on suspicion of providing Percocet pills laced with fentanyl to their classmates.

See Also:

• El Camino Real Athlete, 17, Dies From Fentanyl Overdose
• Seventh Hollywood Teen Overdosed, Apparently From Fentanyl

Earlier this year, three teenage girls overdosed at a Santa Monica apartment while using with they thought was ecstasy purchased online.

In response, the Los Angeles Unified School District officials voted to provide Narcan, or Naloxone, on every campus in an effort to address the increase in fentanyl-related overdoses. It is expected to go into effect next week.

There are steps families can take to reduce the risk of fatal fentanyl-related overdoses, according to the Los Angeles County Public Department of Health:

1. Have Narcan or Naloxone on hand. It can be purchased without a prescription at California pharmacies.
2. Avoid purchasing drugs from unreliable sources. Drugs from strangers or purchased online pose a significant risk of being contaminated with life-threatening substances.
3. Never use drugs alone. Have a trusted person present as a safeguard in case of overdose. Anyone using drugs alone can call Never Use Alone at 1-800-484-3731 and an operator will remain on the line and will call emergency services if the user stops responding.
4. Test drugs before using them. Fentanyl test strips identify contaminated drugs. Although such test strips aren't 100 percent reliable, they can save lives if used correctly. You can purchase them affordably online at: BTNX, Dose Test, Dance Safe, Wisebatch, or TACO.
5. Know the signs of an opioid overdose:
   Stupor or altered mental state
   Loss of consciousness
   Slowed or erratic heart rate
   Respiratory depression or failure
   Nausea or vomiting
   Pinpoint pupils
   Skin color changes
   Seizures
   Cold and clammy skin
   Muscle Spasms