Portland school reeling after student hospitalized from inhaling toxic mixture of chemicals brought from home
A public high school in Portland is reassuring its community after a 15-year-old student inhaled a toxic mixture of chemicals that caused him to be hospitalized, but police confirmed he was expected…
A public high school in Portland is reassuring its community after a 15-year-old student inhaled a toxic mixture of chemicals that caused him to be hospitalized, but police confirmed he was expected to survive the ordeal.
“(Emergency responders) gave the student and everyone nearby the best possible chance at a positive outcome,” Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) Chief Lauren Johnson said at a Sept. 9 press conference, as reported by OPB. “And their actions made a real difference yesterday.”
Kimberlee Armstrong, Portland Public Schools superintendent, also praised staff members at Benson Polytechnic High School who performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator before emergency responders came, according to the article.
Police explained the student did not drink the mixture he had brought from home but inhaled it and then spilled some of it on the floor.
“There was not some sort of nefarious chemistry going on here,” said Jim DeFrain, supervisor of the Metropolitan Explosive Disposal Unit. “This is pretty common stuff that just gets mixed together and can (give off gas) in a way that can make you very sick.”
‘We all are grieving this morning’
The school was evacuated Sept. 8 after Portland fire and medical crews were notified around 8:30 a.m., according to OPB.
“PF&R spokesperson Rick Graves said up to 200 students and staff members were evaluated on nearby athletic fields,” the news outlet reported. “He said no other people were injured or sickened as a result of the incident.”
The school, which is in the northeastern part of the city, enrolls approximately 900 students.
“We all are grieving this morning,” said U.S. Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden on the day of the incident while speaking at a youth mental health hearing.
“We have young people who are walking an economic and health care tightrope. We know that these tragedies are happening all over the country. It’s in our community today.”
As previously reported by Heartlander News, schools nationwide are struggling to address rising student drug use, including vaping.
Last summer, the Fall River Public Schools district in Massachusetts approved plans to start installing 60 vape detectors in school bathrooms.
“It’s not just about putting vape sensors in our schools,” said Aimee Bronhard, the district’s assistant superintendent. “But once we find and identify problems, we also have to be prepared to meet our students where they’re at, and to provide a service, and a response, to that situation.”
