Granbury students hospitalized after eating candy possibly laced with drugs, officials say
Eight students from Granbury Middle School were hospitalized Tuesday after eating candy initially believed to be laced with narcotics, according to a news release from the city.
All of the students ended up being OK, according to the news release, but officials aren’t sure exactly what made the children sick. Tests for THC came back negative and other tests are pending.
The city said police and paramedics responded to the school early Tuesday afternoon. Police and school district officials are working to investigate.
Two of the eighth-graders who ate the candy and were taken to the ER spoke with Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV. The TV station identified the girls only by their first names.
Victoria, 13, said she passed out after she ate the candy which “was gross” and “looked like a Twizzlers.”
Another 13-year-old named Hannah told WFAA that the classmate who gave the candy to other students said it was a gift from her grandmother.
“It tasted like toothpaste and it was really disgusting,” Hannah said. “... I felt really dizzy. My heart was going really fast. I felt like I was really sick.”
The hospital told Hannah’s mother, Kimberly, that she was initially unresponsive and “It was a very scary moment. I thought I was going to lose my child,” Kimberly told WFAA. The mother said a doctor suspected the candy might have contained fentanyl, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
In a letter to parents, Granbury Middle School Principal Andy Smith encouraged families to speak with their children about the risks of consuming unknown substances.
“It is crucial that we have open and honest conversations with our children about making responsible choices and being cautious when it comes to accepting or consuming anything unfamiliar,” the letter said.
This story was originally published December 13, 2023 at 2:46 PM.