High school student arrested for sharing asthma drug

[TexasStooge]

CONROE, Texas (AP) — For asthmatics, taking the inhaled drug Albuterol is as commonplace as popping aspirin for a headache. So what's a little puff shared between wheezy sweethearts?

For one high school student, it's grounds for arrest, expulsion and possible drug charges.

Last month, 15-year-old Brandon Kivi's asthmatic girlfriend was having trouble breathing but had forgotten to bring her inhaler to school, so he let her use his.

But Albuterol is listed as a dangerous drug in the state's health and safety code, and delivery of any such drug is a mandatory expulsion offense. Kivi was arrested the next day and released a few hours later.

The teen and his mother will find out at an expulsion hearing Friday whether the Conroe school district chooses to press third-degree felony charges.

"That's just how my son is," said Kivi's mother, Theresa Hock. "He'll give the shirt off his back. He doesn't do drugs. They would much rather she had died than him help her."

The school nurse said the 15-year-old girl wasn't in obvious distress when the incident happened.

School Principal Greg Poole said he took action against Kivi because the teen tried to give the inhaler to another student the previous day.

[Miss Mary]

When I went to school, you could share any over the counter medication with another. No problem. You could carry it in your purse too, no problem. I think Rx meds would have come into question back then. So this incident didn't surprise me at all. Kids have to be very careful and not share anything, except pencils, paper and lunches. And then some kids have food allergies (like my daugher Nina!). Geez, kids have to be very careful today. In our district kids can't even take cough drops without a doctor's written consent!

Mary

[pawlee]

oh brother! this nonsense gives me a headache! someone give me an aspirin; just don't let anyone see you do it. p