Pill-popping students disciplined

AZTEC, N.M. (KREZ) - A month after six students from Aztec High School ended up in the hospital after popping pills at school, school administrators say they’re taking steps to keep this from happening again.

The students came dangerously close to losing their lives after, according to Aztec police who say they took prescription muscle relaxers one student stole from his mother.

“Apparently another student got a hold of them and decided he would decide to sell and distribute them amongst some other students,” Officer Jerry Blake, Aztec High’s school resource officer, told KRQE News 13 last month.

Some of the students popped those pills and then mixed them with other drugs.

“They had like a contest to see who did the most drugs, and the kid who won is the one that's at UNM,” Dominique Sandoval, an Aztec High Student told News 13 last month.

The students are now OK, but this near-tragedy brought to light a serious problem.

“We need to do some self-looking and reflection to say are there other things we need to do to educate about the dangers of even pharmaceutical drugs,” Superintendent Kirk Carpenter told News 13 last month.

Now Aztec’s Principal says they are taking a two-step approach. First they’re bringing in drug counselors next week to talk with students.

“Running the gamut from legal dangers or consequences to health and medical to even academic problems related with this kind of abuse,” said Aztec Principal Warman Hall.

The next step is trying to change the curriculum by adding prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse education.

However when it comes to kids, especially teenagers, sometimes the best lessons aren’t learned in the classroom.

“These kids could have died from that and making the student body as a whole and kids in general aware of the risk they take with this activity is probably the most effective thing that we can do,” Hall said.

All six students involved did face disciplinary action from the school although the school citing privacy issues declined to say what it was.

The District Attorney’s Office has yet to determine if these students will face charges.