3 MoCo Kids Hospitalized After Eating Controlled Substance: Police

ROCKVILLE, MD — Three Montgomery County elementary school students were hospitalized this week after accidentally ingesting a "methamphetamine-related drug" they believed was candy, authorities said.

According to Montgomery County police, officers were called to College Gardens Elementary School in Rockville on Monday after the 7-year-old students found a container of blue items. Thinking the items were candy, the kids briefly put them in their mouths before spitting them out.

According to authorities, the students went to the school nurse after feeling dizzy. The nurse then alerted the police.

As a precaution, authorities said all three children were taken to local hospitals.

Police could not recover the items, but toxicology reports indicated the students likely ingested a controlled substance such as Adderall or ecstasy, authorities said in a news release.

"I am relieved that the students will ultimately be fine, but in many ways, what happened today is frightening," Chief Marcus Jones said in the release. "I hope that it serves as a powerful motivator for parents to keep having the difficult conversations with their children about the dangers of taking or eating unknown substances."

All three children were released from the hospital to their parents, police said.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.