MADISON, Indiana — 8 students from Madison Consolidated High School to King’s Daughters’ were transported to ER and the Sheriff's Department believes laced e-cigarettes are responsible.
Jefferson County Sheriff David Thomas believes the vapes may have been laced with something and the students had symptoms which included: elevated heart rate, dilated pupils, fluctuated breath patterns, some limpness or in some cases a loss of consciousness.
In all of the cases that were observed, there has been confirmed evidence of vaping and/or paraphernalia including pods and cartridges.
Sheriff Thomas says social media has played a major role in this case, with a lot of misinformation being spread.
Madison Consolidated High School sent WHAS11 a statement saying:
"At this point safety is our primary concern we are investigating a number of leads and encourage students who immediately cease using these types of devices are primary focus is to determine the contents and origin of these devices and what if anything may be contained in these pods."
The Madison County School district is working with law enforcement and the state health department is working to determine similarities in symptoms, treatment, and analyze any toxicology screens to try and narrow down possibilities.
“At this point, safety is our primary concern,” states McVey, who a school resource officer. “We are investigating a number of leads and encourage students to immediately cease use of these types of devices. Our primary focus is to determine the contents and origin of these devices and what, if anything, may be contained in these pods.”
This confirms and presents a larger continued concern regarding the use of Juul and Kart devices.
The school resource officers will monitor the hallways and restroom areas with supervision. Additional nursing staff has also been implemented as an extra precaution to address any cases that may present until more is understood about the situation.
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