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Girl arrested in overdose at SFHS
Syrup Overdose 2 es
Patrol cars and fire engines share parking lot space at South Forsyth High School with students Friday morning. Authorities were called to the school by administrators after three students apparently ingested some type of over-the-counter medication. - photo by Emily Saunders

A South Forsyth High School student was arrested Friday afternoon in connection with an apparent drug overdose on campus, authorities said.

Forsyth County Sheriff's Capt. Paul Taylor said a 16-year-old female student was arrested about 3:30 p.m. and charged with the possession and sale of a Schedule 2 narcotic on school grounds. Her name has not been released.

Taylor said authorities suspect the drug is liquid methadone.

He said the girl reportedly sold the drug to one of three 15-year-old male sophomores who were hospitalized Friday after ingesting some type of over-the-counter medication.

"It's still under investigation," he said, adding that authorities have not ruled out additional charges or arrests.

Jennifer Caracciolo, spokeswoman for the Forsyth County school system, said the boys were taken to Northside Hospital-Forsyth. Their names have not been released, and their conditions could not be determined.

Caracciolo said the high school, which is off Peachtree Parkway (Hwy. 141), was put on lockdown twice between 10 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. while administrators and public safety personnel worked to ensure student safety.

South Principal Jason Branch said he could not share specifics of the incident.

"We're working with law enforcement to investigate the situation and working diligently to find out more about what has transpired," Branch said.

The sheriff's office and Forsyth County Fire Department responded to the incident.

"This is under investigation and we think we will know more once that has taken place," Branch said.

The situation began about 10 a.m., he said, when a teacher reported that a student had vomited in physical education class.

"So we brought the student to the clinic at that time," Branch said. "A nurse addressed the students' needs and at that point we began communicating about the situation."

He said two more reports followed of students who were "not as responsive as normal."

"The staff, law enforcement and county office have shown tremendous support for our students through a very difficult day," Branch said.

He said the incident is unusual for South, which works to provide a safe environment for all of its students.

Caracciolo said administrators and law enforcement organized the assessment of the situation in as smooth and organized a manner as possible.

An e-mail was sent to parents about the incident, with information also posted on the school's Web site.

In addition, Branch said a letter would also go home with each student.

"We're blessed to have a student body that makes appropriate decisions a majority of the time while working on their education," he said. "Unfortunately, we had some students who made a mistake."