Asher Klein

Students Treated After Using E-Cig With THC, Nicotine in Westport, Police Say

The school was locked down for about 90 minutes as it dealt with a "building-wide medical alert," Principal Mitchel G. Aho said

Several students were treated, and one sent to the hospital, after using an e-cigarette pen that contained a mix of THC and nicotine Friday at Westport Junior Senior High School, police said.

One student was taken to the hospital and others suspected to be involved in the incident were evaluated by the school nurse and local paramedics, according to a statement from Westport police. Officers were called due to a report of an intoxicated student, who had to be restrained due to "erratic and violent behavior."

The school was locked down for about 90 minutes as it dealt with a "building-wide medical alert," Principal Mitchel G. Aho said in a letter to the community.

The announcement came about the same time Friday that Walmart and Sam's Club announced they would stop selling e-cigarettes amid "regulatory complexity and uncertainty regarding e-cigarettes."

A mysterious lung illness that health officials believe is linked to vaping has killed at least eight people in recent weeks and sickened over 500 more. Most of the patients reported using THC, the intoxicating compound in marijuana, though other patients say they've only vaped with nicotine while still others reported using both. 

It wasn't immediately clear if the Westport case was related to the lung illness.

Investigators at Westport Friday found that several students had used an e-cigarette containing a mixture of THC and nicotine, police said.

While authorities responded to the situation, students and staff were restricting to their rooms during a shelter-in-place, Aho said.

"Please know that every effort was made to minimize the impact of this morning's incident. We will continue to prioritize the safety of our learning environment and well-being of our students," he said.

The condition of the sickened students wasn't clear as of Friday evening.

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