Schools
Islander Middle School Teen Faces Drug Charges
A 14-year-old Islander Middle School boy who took his older sisters unused pain medication to school in April and handed it out to friends could be charged with drug possession and distribution
A 14-year-old Mercer Island middle school student arrested in April could face drug possession and distribution charges for bringing the prescription drug Oxycodone to , according to Ian Goodhew, spokesman for the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. "The youth will be formally charged next week, but his case could be diverted, if he has no criminal history, to the Community Accountability Board, which imposes punishments like community service for first time juvenile offenders."
Mercer Island Police allege the teen found his 17-year-old sister’s bottle of Oxycodone that she had used for pain following a dental procedure and then brought the drugs to school and distributed them to several other students.
“He didn’t know what they were … it was a curiosity thing,” said Commander Leslie Burns of the Mercer Island Police Department. “He took one himself and then handed them out to one or two friends just to see what would happen.”
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Though none of the teens became ill, one of them reported the drug to a school official.
Oxycodone is an addictive narcotic that acts on the brain and nervous system to ease pain. It is generally prescribed after surgery to ease discomfort, though it is known to give a feeling of euphoria to those who use it.
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Commander Burns said she believes the Island teen won’t serve much time. “It’s not an intent to deal drugs,” she said. “I’m sure they’ll handle this as an educational matter.” Burns said because kids are curious, when parents leave unused medication laying unsecured in a household, instead of asking the adults in the household about it, they are likely to try the drug as an experiment. She also said this incident points to a need for drug disposal and safety discussions. “Parents need to lock (their prescription drugs) up and have a dialog with their teenagers about what the drug can do and what harm it can cause.”
Mercer Island School Superintendent Gary Plano said that while the school and the district have a policy of not commenting on student disciplinary matters, “I’m sure the school handled the matter appropriately.”