12:57 PM CDT on Monday, May 2, 2005

Amanda Hebert / Houma Courier

THIBODAUX -- Two first-graders at Thibodaux Elementary were treated and released from a local hospital after they took a prescription drug one of them brought from home, authorities said.

After they showed side effects of the medication, particularly sleepiness, school officials called an ambulance service and police.

The incident occurred April 15, Thibodaux Police Chief Craig Melancon said.

"The Thibodaux Police Department received a phone call in reference to a medical emergency at Thibodaux Elementary," he said.

Uniformed officers and a detective arrived at the school. An ambulance was sent at 12:30 p.m., and the two students were taken to Thibodaux Regional Medical Center.

Floyd Benoit, Lafourche Parish school system spokesman, said the prescription drug distributed was Adderall. Adderall, an amphetamine, is a controlled substance and often prescribed for people with attention deficit disorder or hyperactivity.

The medication stimulates nerve cells in the brain. Side effects of the drug, which can be habit-forming, include dizziness and a decrease in alertness.

Dr. Ann Tilton, a professor of neurology and pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, said a stimulant such as Adderall in a low dose can make a child tired or sleepy.

After the children arrived at the hospital, Melancon said, a family member of the child who had given a friend the drug brought bottles of medication from home, which is how the pills were identified.

"Once the medication was discovered, the children were treated," Melancon said. "The children responded well and are doing fine."

Gina Collins, a pharmacist with Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, said the drug affects the cardiovascular system and can cause an increased heart rate. It also affects the central nervous system.

The boy who took the medication to school takes the medication himself, Benoit said in a news release. When he takes it, his parents tell the child he is a "good boy." He took the medicine to school so his friend could be a "good boy" too.

The Police Department said as of Friday no charges had been filed.

Benoit said no disciplinary action had been taken, either.

"We did conduct several interviews," Melancon said. "The medicine was legally prescribed within the home. The child had simply taken the medicine without the knowledge of the parents."

Melancon said that there is nothing yet to suggest there was any wrongdoing on the part of the faculty at the school. Nor is there anything to suggest the parents of the child did anything inappropriate.

"The school acted with a great degree of care and very swiftly," Melancon said.

The case has been referred to the state Office of Community Services.

Thibodaux Elementary Principal Brenda Gautreaux would not comment about the incident.