Middle School Student Busted for Passing Out Prescription Pills

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By Molly Kelleher

Summary

A Middle School student is arrested for passing out prescription pills at school. Action News takes a closer look at the problem by talking to the real experts.

Story Published: Dec 2, 2008 at 6:10 PM PST

Middle School Student Busted for Passing Out Prescription Pills
KENNEWICK - A Middle School student is arrested for passing out prescription pills at school. Action News takes a closer look at the problem by talking to the real experts.

"Probably every middle school in the Tri-Cities has them and really cheap too," said one unidentified 9th grade student.

Stats are one thing, straight talk is something else. One high school student opened up to us about what's really going on in our schools.

"Don't fool yourself, it's everywhere," he says. "I would say about 1 out of 3 kids has it on them,"

Official stats say 1 in 5 students have tried prescription drugs that weren't prescribed for them.

On Monday, December 1rst a 13 year old boy at Highlands Middle School was busted for passing out hydrocodone pills. Kids call them hydros. A campus security officer caught him giving the pills to other students in a boys bathroom.

"Is it unusual that we see a thirteen year old? Not really. These kids out there looking to get high," said Kennewick Police Sgt. Ken Lattin.

Kennewick police say this is no isolated incident. This is happening all the time. Cops say the best thing to do is to talk with your kids, because if you don't give them the information they'll get it somewhere else

"Kids talk enough they'll figure out what these drugs do on Facebook. So talk to your kids," said Sgt. Lattin.

Abusing painkillers is like abusing heroin because both contain ingredients that are opioids, according to the Partnership for Drug-free America.