Several students were sickened at school after ingesting grape juice laced with an illegal drug, police say. The children allegedly brought the drug to school and police say they are still trying to figure out what the drug was and how they got their hands on it. NBC10’s Aaron Baskerville spoke with parents, school leaders and experts about the frightening incident.
Students at a Philadelphia school were hospitalized Wednesday after they drank grape juice laced with an opioid substance, officials said.
Police responded to Crossroads Accelerated Academy along the 4300 block of Westminster Avenue at 11:40 a.m. after multiple students between the ages of 14 and 16 suddenly became sick.
“According to a preliminary investigation, two students brought in grape juice laced with ‘wonk,’” Philadelphia School District spokesperson Monique Braxton said. “Wonk is an opioid substance.”
At least 12 students drank the substance and began experiencing lightheadedness with some of them also vomiting, officials said. Five of the students were taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where they are in stable condition. The other seven students went home with their parents.
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The school was placed on lockdown at 12:16 p.m. and police brought in trained officers with the counterterrorism unit to help with the investigation.
“They responded to the scene to do a preliminary testing on the substance and they determined they needed further testing so the substance will have to go to a lab,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Kpana Massaquoi said.
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