Three High Schoolers Taken to Hospital After Overdosing on Cold Medicine

Three students were taken to area hospitals on Wednesday after overdosing on a medication used for cold relief, a police spokesperson said.

Capt. Richard Flynn, of the , said the students were lethargic and showed signs of impairment when taken to a school nurse. Inspector Brian Gallagher, a liaison at the school, was called in to assess the situation and called in ambulances.

Upon further investigation, Flynn said, students said they used Coricidin, a common cold medicine that contains Dextromethorphan, an item that Flynn said can produce feelings of euphoria and sometimes hallucinations.

"Now, I’m hearing that this is out and the kids know this," Flynn said. "This is an over-the-counter rmedication that they sometimes will seek to get a high from. In this case here, this is what we believe has happened."

The spokesman said the Arlington Police Department is in touch with local pharmacies to investigate what other over-the-counter products may also contain Dextromethorphan.

Flynn added that medicines like this can sometimes be purchased without age verification. It is unclear if the students in this case purchased the medicine or if they got it from somebody else. All three are underage, Flynn said.

The police captain said the students are doing well.