Superintendent: School nurse used Narcan to save 10th-grader from synthetic pot

A female student at Sachem High School East who collapsed Monday outside the girls locker room after smoking synthetic marijuana was saved by a school nurse who administered Narcan, a medication known to reverse the effects of opioids, Superintendent James Nolan said Wednesday.

Nolan said paramedics who took the 10th-grader to Stony Brook University Hospital told school officials she might not have survived without that intervention.

Another female student -- a senior who was with the young woman -- also was taken to the hospital but was quickly released, he said.

Speaking of the school's nurses, all of whom have been trained to use Narcan, Nolan said, "I can't even articulate how wonderful they are."

The superintendent sent out a lengthy telephone message to district residents on Tuesday, saying the district "recently experienced a couple of very frightening situations where our students experienced severe seizures as a result of using a synthetic cannabinoid commonly known as K2 or spice."

Nolan called the drug deadly, saying students can smoke it discreetly because it is odorless.

"Like every other substance-abuse situation, no person, no family, no school, and no community is immune to these horrors," he said in the message. "We cannot live in denial."

Suffolk County police would not comment on Monday's incident at Sachem but noted that K2 and other synthetic drugs are illegal in New York.

"Internet sales are probably a major supplier of these drugs," Det. Lt. Timothy Dillon said. "Most are manufactured in Asia -- specifically China -- and also Pakistan."

In a Newsday story in September, federal officials described the synthetic cannabinoids as chemical compounds that can be sprayed with fruity flavorings onto leafy substances like tea. They are sold in small groceries in $5 packets with eye-catching wrappers and names like "Scooby Snax" and "Green Giant."

Sachem, Long Island's second-largest school district, has a drug-education program for grades K-12 and holds forums with parents on the topic.

The system, which serves more than 13,500 children across 18 campuses, has four substance abuse counselors: one at each high school and two others who split their time among four middle schools.

Any student may seek their services, Nolan said. "People have no idea what miracles they perform," he said.

Drug-sniffing dogs patrol the district at least once a year, administrators said, and while that's helpful, it's not the only way to make narcotics less attractive.

Board member Sal Tripi said Sachem also must strive to engage students in positive ways through music, art and sports.

"We need to keep them away from the streets and give them a safe place to do constructive things that they enjoy," he said. "Oftentimes that is in direct conflict with our budget issues."

Lori Hewlett, chair of Sachem's Health Education Department and Substance Abuse Education Task Force, said parents should know that young people don't start using drugs spontaneously.

"Children don't wake up one morning and say, 'Hey, I'm going to try heroin,' " she said.

"It starts with e-cigarettes, energy drinks and alcohol. Kids' brains develop from the back to the front, with the back saying, 'Go, go, go!' and the front saying, 'Stop.' "

Hewlett advises adults against giving students credit cards as gifts because, as police noted, they can be used to buy e-cigarettes and other illicit items over the Internet.

She said parents shouldn't permit their children to drink alcohol, because those who start early are more likely to develop substance abuse problems later in life.

"We also urge parents not to post pictures of themselves online with alcohol or toasting with friends," Hewlett said. Instead, they should focus on substance-free ways of celebrating on vacations, special occasions and holidays.

With Gary Dymski