Durban - An investigation is under way to establish how four Crossmoor Secondary pupils almost overdosed on a prescription drug used to treat severe schizophrenia at the school’s prize-giving ceremony.
Two male pupils allegedly consumed two-and-a-half Cloment tablets while the females popped half of the 100mg dose.
A source, who was at the awards event, said the male pupils who were most affected became groggy and appeared to be on a “high”.
They were admitted to hospital for two nights before being released on Thursday, the source said.
The parents of the Grade 8 girls denied their daughters had been part of the group, while the other two parents said their sons were recovering at home.
One mother said when she arrived at the school, she found her son on the cement floor outside the school office. He was frothing at the mouth.
She said she was disappointed that the staff had not helped her son and dreaded to think what would have happened if she had not arrived on time.
Dr Ronaldo Adkins explained Cloment was used to treat severely ill schizophrenic patients and could not be bought over the counter.
“It has to be prescribed by a psychiatrist. Each tablet contains 25mg or 100mg Clozapine. This is a high-dose tranquilliser which is primarily used to manage psychosis, mainly in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder,” he said.
Adkins said the side effects included drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness or headache, confusion, restlessness and agitation.
Sam Pillay from the Chatsworth Anti-Drug Forum said pupils were moving away from conventional drugs like sugars and were opting to get a fix from prescribed medication, which was more accessible.
He said the scenario was prevalent at many of the local schools.
“Pupils have also been found in possession of other prescription drugs such as Xanax, used to treat depression.”
Pillay encouraged parents to educate their children about the dangers of prescription drugs.
He also advised parents to keep these drugs under lock and key.
The spokesperson for the Department of Education in KZN, Kwazi Mthethwa, said they were investigating the incident.
“We need answers as to what happened. We will be speaking to pupils and teachers.”
Mthethwa also urged parents to be vigilant and to be cautious with medication lying around the house.
The principal and the school governing body chairperson declined to comment.