A mother from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, says she is alarmed and upset after her 12-year-old son had to be rushed to hospital because he consumed cannabis edibles at his high school.
Ashley Ryder says not only did the school not call 911, they sent him home on the school bus as usual.
“It could have been a fatal outcome, I’m very, very grateful that it wasn’t.” However, they were negligent with my son,” she said.
Ryder says the ordeal began Tuesday, when she received a voicemail from Caledonia Junior High School. The message, which she shared with Global News, said her son Quinten told them he had consumed THC-infused edibles given to him by another student.
“I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here, to be perfectly honest,” the voicemail concluded.
After hearing the message, Ryder says she called the school again, but no one answered.
As her 7th grade son got off the school bus, she knew something was wrong.
“He was soaring when he spoke. He was very uncomfortable,” she said.
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According to the Atlantic Canada Poison Control Center team, these were telltale signs of an overdose.
“In children, the most common symptoms you will see are drowsiness, slurred speech, and some muscle weakness. If anyone thinks a child may have indulged in a cannabis edible, we recommend they call the poison control center. » said team leader Jill Duncan.
When Ryder asked his son what happened, he said an older student gave him the candy.
“(The student) said they were sour apple gummy candies, and then he gave me two handfuls. I ate them and couldn’t move for a while,” he told Global News.
Ryder says her son could barely support his own weight and that she had become incredibly worried because of her son’s medical history, which includes prescription medications.
“Not knowing more information than what was left on my voicemail was terrifying. So because of all his health issues, we called Uber and went to the hospital,” she said.
At the IWK Health Centre, a children’s hospital in Halifax, Ryder says staff confirmed to her that her son had overdosed.
“They said it was an overdose and they did an ECG. It took several medical professionals to hold my child down because he has a phobia of needles. It was extremely traumatic,” she said.
Quinten was discharged later that night, only to be back in the emergency room the next day with chest pains.
Police report filed
Ryder says she informed the school that her son had overdosed on their watch, but she felt they were dismissive.
She alleges the school failed in its duty of care and should have called 911 when she first noticed something was wrong. She has since filed a police report and says she is considering legal action.
“It could have been fatal. I am very, very grateful that this is not the case. However, they were negligent with my son,” she said.
In a statement to Global News, the Halifax Regional Education Center says the school administration was informed that a student may have ingested cannabis and that the situation was “closely monitored.”
“The school administration will work cooperatively with its law enforcement partners if the matter is further investigated,” spokeswoman Lindsey Bunin wrote.
“The safety of our students and staff is a top priority. Anyone who threatens or endangers the well-being of others will receive appropriate consequences for their actions, in accordance with the Provincial Schools Code of Conduct.
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