By April Amadon/amadona@gnnewspaper.com
Two Royalton-Hartland High School students are facing charges after they allegedly gave Xanax to other students.
MIddleport Police Chief John Swick said the investigation began Thursday after one student’s mother took the girl to the hospital to be tested for drugs.
The girl tested positive for Xanax, Swick said.
After talking with the girl and several other students, police say the path led back to two Roy-Hart High School students — 16-year-olds Ryan M. Dolly, 8516 Chestnut Ridge Road, and Evan Farnsworth, 8477 Mountain Road.
Both boys were cooperative, which Swick attributed partly to the fact that the parents were actively involved in the investigation.
Dolly allegedly admitted to having given the pills to the girl, while Farnsworth allegedly admitted to bringing the pills to school.
“They were his mother’s pills he had taken without mom’s knowledge,” Swick said.
The boys were each charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. They were released on appearance tickets and are due today in Royalton Town Court.
Roy-Hart Superintendent Paul Bona said the school has no comment on the arrests.
Swick said he’s seen much more frequent reports of prescription drug abuse in the schools, perhaps because teens don’t understand the danger of prescription pills.
“The kids act like they're taking Tylenol,” Swick said. “It's hard to deal with. It's not like marijuana, where you can smell it if they're smoking it in the bathroom. You can’t tell if they’re popping pills.”
Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.
