SILVER SPRING, Md. (WUSA9) -- A homemade concoction best known as “Purple Drank” is suspected in what sent six middle schoolers to a hospital for evaluations after they became ill at school Friday.
The students were among 12 to 15 students suffering symptoms of intoxication, who were brought to the health room at the Francis Scott Key Middle School on Schindler La. in Silver Spring Friday morning.
“They had ingested we believe a mixture of alcohol and some other things,” said Pete Piringer, of the Montgomery County Fire Rescue Service.
According to Montgomery County police, the students at Francis Scott Key Middle drank a mixture of vodka, NyQuil and Jolly Ranchers.
None of the illnesses were life threatening. The children were taken for medical evaluations out of “an abundance of caution” according to Montgomery County Schools spokesman Derek Turner.
Turner said the concoction that made the students sick was “brought from home.”
The key ingredient in “Purple Drank” is prescription strength cough syrup which can be mixed with sweet sodas, popsicles and candy for flavor. The drink is also known as “sizzurp” and “lean”.
The drink was popularized by rappers Three 6 Mafia, who’s video “Sippin on some Sizzurp” has 5.8 million YouTube views.
Teens can be widely seen in social media videos promoting recipes for the drink.
No other information is available at this time.
