Gold Coast students in critical condition after suspected overdose

A group of Gold Coast students are critically ill in hospital after a suspected drug overdose at their high school.

Saint Stephen's College at Upper Coomera, Gold Coast, Thursday, February 22, 2018.

Saint Stephen's College at Upper Coomera, Gold Coast, Thursday, February 22, 2018. Source: AAP

Police are waiting on the results of toxicology tests after a suspected drug overdose at a Gold Coast high school left seven students in hospital.

Paramedics were called to St Stephen's College in Upper Coomera on Wednesday when boys, aged 15 and 14, appeared to be under the influence of drugs.

Four boys were taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in a critical condition, with another boy transported in a serious condition.

The other two boys were stable when they were taken to hospital.

The incident has shocked the school's community with parents of other students concerned for their children's safety.

"I'd have to seriously consider if I leave my children at the school, to be honest," parent Greg Peters told ABC radio on Thursday morning.

"This is fairly serious, you would think when seven boys are silly enough to want to attempt that at school it's not good."

Opposition leader Bill Shorten said the incident was every teenage parent's worst "nightmare".

"I think it's shocking, I've got teenage kids. I just hope the kids get better. I cannot imagine what their parents are going through," Mr Shorten told ABC radio.

"If kids are able to buy serious drugs online then we have to do everything we can to stop that."

Police have established two crime scenes at the school and seized several mobile phones and electronic devices.

They fear the boys may have bought the drugs over the internet.

"We're more concerned with where they got the drugs from, why they took it and hopefully everybody pulls through safely" Acting Inspector Tony Wormald said.

Authorities suspect the substance is a powdered form of GHB, also known as fantasy.

"These boys started to become very giddy, not aware of their surroundings, one was having trouble with his consciousness, others were feeling nauseous," Queensland Ambulance Service Inspector Patrick Berry said.

"QAS do have to applaud the response from the school. It has been absolutely amazing they have been able to identify these children were deteriorating and were able to have ambulance service respond accordingly."

Mr Berry said it was "too early to tell" just how the students would recover and it would take toxicology results to help determine the course of action for doctors to take.

Principal Jamie Dorrington, who was reportedly attending a conference in Brisbane when the students fell ill, joined the boys and their families in hospital on Wednesday night.

"Our primary concern at the moment obviously is to ensure their wellbeing, which I'm confident is being looked after," Mr Dorrington said.


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By Justin Sungil Park

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