MADISON, Indiana — Thursday, school officials with Madison Consolidated High School confirmed eight students were taken to the emergency room this week. School leaders say the students all had similar symptoms of elevated heart rate, dilated pupils, fluctuated breath pattern, some limpness and, in some cases, loss of consciousness.
The Jefferson County Sheriff confirmed the eight cases were related to vaping. In a statement to the media, school officials said there was evidence of vaping and/or paraphernalia including pods and cartridges.
While they don't yet know how the e-cigarettes were contaminated, school leaders and SROs are working with King's Daughters Hospital and the Jefferson County Health Department to learn more. School resource officers are also conducting an internal investigation, the school says.
Madison School SRO McVey: "At this point, safety is our primary concern. 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."
The schools said they're being diligent as possible with supervision in the hallway and restroom areas. Additional nursing staff has also been added to the school as a precaution and to address any cases that may present, until more is known about the situation.
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