Here’s a list of controlled substances. I don’t see Albuterol on any of the federal drug schedules (which are controlled by the DEA). Some states may have albuterol on their own schedules, though.
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“Common sense” has long been banned in Public Schools.
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Don’t forget that the Freedom Beacon Country is broken up into states that suck and states that suck less. And the states are broken up into various localities that suck and suck less.
So, if you are talking about Garland, Texas, you are talking about the Dallas suburbs, near where bomb-clock kid was, and others who have graced the halls of this BBS. Those areas of Texas are where racial profiling and out-and-out racism is a commonplace event.
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True. But the fear of lawyers and general idiocy of managers is universal. Though, certainly somewhat location-modulated.
It’s creeping even to here.
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I thought it was illegal to share prescription drugs in the U.S.A, unless my years of watching CSI have lied to me. Is Albuterol not a prescription drug?
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Funny, just two days ago a friend (who technically is a medical doctor, but he works in research) suggested I borrow my daughter’s inhaler for one dose because it could help my pneumonia.
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You’re basing your objection on the news story’s wording, which is unfair to the school district. The district’s actual drug policy doesn’t incorrectly use “controlled substances.” Instead, it says “Students shall not…Abuse the student’s own prescription drug, give a prescription drug to another student…”
“Controlled substance” does make an appearance in the section prescribing mandatory placement in alternative school–but here it actually means controlled substance, not non-schedule prescription drugs, mandating placement in an alternative school for a student who: “Sells, gives, or delivers to another person, or possesses, uses, or is under the influence of marijuana, a controlled substance, or a dangerous drug in an amount not constituting a felony offense.”
Semantics aside, of course, the district must see reason. Albuterol should not be considered a “dangerous drug” in this instance, and all disciplinary proceedings should be dropped.
Garland School District Handbook
http://www.garlandisd.net/gisdupdates/index.cfm?controller=documents&action=getdocument&key=81&cc=3166AFEB-066B-CE1C-10B194691963D03A
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Whatever happened to learning experiences? This is a perfect time to set the kid aside and say, “it’s great that it worked out this time, but it’s important that you don’t do that again because you never know if your medication could have an adverse effect on someone else.” And then provide effective strategies for dealing with the situation, such as making sure an adult is present and trained to respond to basic medical issues at all times.
It seems like the news is too full of stories about schools that go from zero to suspension or even expulsion for first, often ignorant offenses.
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Well albuterol, as the most common bronchodilator, is fairly harmless stuff. It causes your lung airways to open, since it interacts with the passageway muscles (the beta receptors in those cells) to cause them to relax and therefore let more air in to be absorbed by the blood.
However, you should watch out if you are taking a beta-blocker or other beta-based medication, such as for high blood pressure, since albuterol is in the same family. But if you are clear and all you have is the pneumonia and trouble catching your breath, albuterol will open up your lungs and let your blood oxygenate faster.
I used it last summer when I was hiking at 12,000 feet. It helped tremendously, especially at night.
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Careful what you say, or we’ll “Free” you next!
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I will try.
As others have mentioned, this has to do with liability. If a student gives another student any type of drug and the second student had a reaction to said drug, it will be the school district who will be held liable and will have to pay damages.
I’m in a district that has school nurses who are master’s prepared nurse practitioners, and they are stuck doing paperwork and no actual clinical practice (for the most part). They are not allowed to give so much as a tampon, so forget ibuprofen. Honestly, it’s ridiculous.
I can’t say that I’ve done the top drawer thing (@SpunkyTWS), but I have left my purse open for a credit recovery student who could not miss another class.
And it’s not just Texas; I work in Southern California.
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It’s prescription because there can be side effects, including possible irregular anaphylactic shock and spiking blood pressure.
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We keep one of those drug store pulse oximeters around the house for when my son has asthma problems. We dose him with albuterol (well, at 11, mostly he does it himself) if he’s sick and drops down below about 95% – you can immediately see the bounce back up to 98-99%
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There’s also liability with doing less than you could. If my child died at school and could have been saved by a medicine that was readily available, you can be damned sure I’m going to sue. Good Samaritan laws protect you from being sued while trying to help. They don’t protect you if you do nothing.
The right thing to do in this case is talk openly about what happened with the kids and parents. Explain what the concerns are and treat it as a teachable moment (they still do that in school, right?).
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They were likely watching her suffer approvingly as Darwinism was taking it’s course, like every gym teacher I ever had.
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I totally agree with this. It’s crazy that, at this point, this event has made the media rounds. It sounds like their policy is case-by-case, which is why there will be a hearing. Should it have even gotten this far? I would answer that the administrator in charge should have had a parent conference and then give them/her a warning. I mean, it appears that she was only trying to do the right thing. Intent is everything.
As far as your first part, teachers are supposed to be trained in CPR and if there is an earthquake or similar event, many of us have taken Red Cross first aid. I can’t think of any teacher who I know who will not come to any student’s need in an emergency. (I’ve taken care of a student who had a seizure in another teacher’s class, which I could have been fired for leaving my students.) But giving out over-the-counter medication is a big no-no, and Rx can only be distributed via school nurse. This may be silly for high school students, but my job AND credential supercede a child’s need for ibuprofen.
TL;DR Send your kid to school with ibuprofen and tell them not to share and be discreet when ingesting.
That explains David Cameron and George Osborne then.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist
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Remember, “public school” doesn’t mean the same thing here in the U.S.
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So how many inhalers would you have to eat for that to kick in?
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It’s Texas so no surprise. When it comes to things like this in school, the thinking seems to be “Better a dead child than a lawsuit!”.
Which is sad
