ORANGE PARK, Fla. — Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook took to social media Monday to set the record straight after rumors ran rampant after some students were hospitalized Saturday during Ridgeview High School’s homecoming dance.
“We did not have a fentanyl overdose. We did not have a drug overdose,” Cook said during a Facebook Live. “We did not have somebody handing out sodas that were laced with fentanyl ... the things we’ve been hearing.”
Cook said the sheriff’s office did conduct a criminal investigation after two students were taken to the hospital during the dance.
“What I want to talk to you about is the criminal investigation that was conducted and what we’ve learned as we didn’t have a crime,” Cook said.
The culprit? Caffeine. Too much of it.
“We had three students who were taking caffeine Nootropic pouches,” Cook said. “They were taking those prior to and at the dance. They felt symptoms that were consistent with the caffeine pouches.”
Cook said two of the students were taken to the hospital and the third complained of heart palpitations. The students who were taken to the hospital were tested for other drugs which came back negative, Cook said.
The students were interviewed by detectives and admitted taking the caffeine pouches, Cook said.
“This is a good opportunity for us to make sure we’re talking to our kids about what they’re putting in their body,” Cook said. “Even something as what appears to be as innocent as a caffeine pouch can have pretty interesting side affects.”
What are caffeine nootropic pouches?
Caffeine nootropic pouches are small, tobacco-free, nicotine-free oral packets that are placed under the lip to deliver a fast-acting mix of caffeine and cognitive-enhancing compounds (nootropics) through the lining of your mouth.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.