Police warning over capsules after five young people are taken ill
Officers are investigating after five young people, who swallowed capsules containing an unknown substance, were admitted to hospital.
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Your support makes all the difference.Authorities are urging people to beware of capsules containing an unknown substance after five pupils became unwell at a halls of residence.
Police are investigating after five young people fell ill at Papdale Halls of Residence in Kirkwall, Okrney, on Wednesday.
Two were taken to hospital but were discharged on Thursday evening.
Orkney Islands Council is urging parents and carers to ask their children if they have an unknown substance in their possession, in particular, a clear capsule that may contain a brown or other coloured liquid.
We are asking for parental support to assist in dealing with this situation
The council said: “It is important that anyone with such a capsule hands it over to their parents, the school, an appropriate adult or the police and not to ingest it.
“It’s vital that we all work together to ensure our young people are made aware of the potential dangers of taking substances that they are not familiar with.”
The local authority added: “We are asking for parental support to assist in dealing with this situation and want to stress that this is not about punishment, this is about the health and wellbeing of our young people at this time.”
Papdale Halls of Residence provides accommodation for secondary school students from both the north and south isles to enable them to study at Kirkwall Grammar School.
The council said it will be working with the police, NHS Orkney and the Orkney Drugs Dog charity to “further educate and engage with students throughout Orkney schools about the dangers of substance misuse”.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police Scotland officers are liaising with NHS Orkney and Orkney Islands Council after five pupils took unwell at the Papdale Halls of Residence in Kirkwall on Wednesday 26 January 2022.”
The force added: “A joint investigation is ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and inquiries are ongoing.”