A story circulating on social media which claimed that secondary school students had ingested sweet treats laced with cocaine has been rubbished by an official and described as “erroneous”.

Initial reports from members of the public indicated that up to 15 second form students of the Girls’ High School were suspended for purchasing “cookies laced with cocaine”. It was also said that the products were purchased in the vicinity of the school compound.

A usually reliable source close to the school spoke to SEARCHLIGHT on the matter, stating that no students were exposed to cocaine or cocaine laced products. The official said the school conducted its own investigation and found that a small group of students colluded to obtain drug-infused products, but there is no evidence to indicate a link to cocaine.

The source did confirm that five students were suspended on Friday, May 19, for their involvement in the purchase of marijuana-infused sweet treats.

SEARCHLIGHT understands that students interacted with an Instagram account where the marijuana treats had been advertised. They then reached out to the page and placed an order after which the vendor met the students at the nearby Joshua Centre and exchanged the goods for money.

The official told SEARCHLIGHT the matter is concerning and the school administration is appalled that a controlled substance can be made available to minors so easily.

“It doesn’t matter your age, you can just put in your order like you are ordering shoes, and I find that to be very disturbing.”

Since the investigation, the school has been engaging students in discussions about drug use and its potential dangers.

“We have been speaking to them as a whole student body and encouraging them to stay away from drugs, and I’m encouraging all young people to stay away from drugs,” the official said, also adding that the matter has been reported to the police.

SEARCHLIGHT visited the school to speak with parents and hear their concerns on the drug-ingestion issue but those who commented said that they had no knowledge of the situation.

One parent, who spoke to SEARCHLIGHT on condition of anonymity, said it is surprising that students can get a hold of drugs so easily. He said he has cautioned his daughter about not “following the wrong crowd”, adding that he believes bad influences can lead to incidents such as what has affected this particular group of students.

The parent who spoke to SEARCHLIGHT said there has been no communication between the school’s administration and parents or guardians informing them about the drug exposure.