A 13-year-old Southlands Secondary School pupil wants to use her near-death experience of almost overdosing on prescription drugs at school to advise and lead others away from the growing trend of “pill-popping” at school, she toldPeer pressure and wanting to fit in seems like the leading cause of teenagers that find themselves in these situations. The Chatsworth teen decided to break the silence on the now popular way of getting a “high” during school hours.
“I took the tablets during the second break and felt sleepy. After I got home, I began vomiting and my mother took me to the hospital, where the medication was pumped out of me,” she said. The spokesperson for the department of education, Kwazi Mthethwa, said: “We are not aware of the situation. Department protocol is that the principal reports the matter at circuit level first, and at this level, we did not find out about the matter. I am sure the issue has been reported to the district circuit manager or line manager and will be dealt with accordingly.
“I never realised that this would ever happen in school, where she was supposed to be learning and feel safe. Every day, there are ongoing incidents involving children and we, as parents, have to take the necessary precautions and alert the school. My child could have died.”