[imagesource:pikpix]

Parents in Taiwan are freaking out after it was revealed that authorities are investigating the widespread drugging of children in pre-schools.

Teachers at a kindergarten in New Taipei City have been accused of sedating students with cough syrups containing drugs like phenobarbital and benzodiazepines. Police have confirmed that they are looking at possible reasons the drugs were administered to the toddlers.

Parents however have been protesting outside of government buildings. Hundreds joined a demonstration in New Taipei City on Sunday calling for greater transparency from the police investigation, with many criticising authorities for their lack of public disclosure.

The local health department in the city of Kaohsiung found four doctors guilty of misconduct and improper use of the drug phenobarbital on about 20 children. These doctors have now been suspended from practising medicine for six months and had to pay a fine of 1,4 million Taiwanese dollars (R825 000).

The scandal has grown to such proportions that clinics are now offering free drug testing for preschool children to check for traces of sedatives.

The scandal broke in May when parents at a private preschool in New Taipei City accused staff of feeding their children “unknown drugs”. The parents first noticed something amiss when some pupils experienced withdrawal symptoms during the lunar new year school holidays.

“Some parents found their children, over the vacation, had become irritable, restless and screamed when sleeping, and even cried out with leg cramps.”

Parents interrogated the children and the kiddies said that the teachers at some schools had administered ‘potions’. Naturally, parents went crazy over this and tests revealed that at least eight children had trace amounts of phenobarbital and benzodiazepines – a class of psychoactive drugs – in their system.

Kid Castle Educational Institute seemed to be at the centre of this dodgy practice and subsequently, authorities ordered the school closed pending an investigation. Its directors have been fined 150 000 Taiwanese dollars (R89 000).

According to the school, parents had consented to the use of some of the drugs, but the parents have questioned this. Local pharmacists have also chimed in saying that certain over-the-counter cough medicines contain phenobarbital, which could explain the test results.

Phenobarbital however is a bit harder to obtain and is mostly used as anesthesia during operations. Quite how the kiddos got this into their system is now being investigated by authorities.

Parents are rightly livid as anyone with a child would go ape if it is revealed they are being drugged at school to keep them docile.

In all honesty, most parents wish their kids could just ‘take it down a notch’ most of the time, but drugging them with cough syrup is definitely not the way to go.

[source:bbc]