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District: Student gave classmates sleeping pills

It was sleeping pills, not the curriculum, that made seven students in Kensington drowsy and eventually queasy this morning, officials said

It was sleeping pills, not the curriculum, that made seven students in Kensington drowsy and eventually queasy this morning, officials said

School district officials said the H.A. Brown Elementary School students-one eighth-grader and six seventh graders-took Ambien sleeping pills in the morning and were acting drowsy by 9 a.m. District spokesman Fernando Gallard said the school called 9-1-1 and the students were taken to St. Christopher's Hospital, where they were still being observed as of 2 p.m.

Philadelphia police are investigating the incident and said a 13-year-old female student brought the prescription pills in from home. The girl is in custody but police said she has not been charged yet.

The district was planning on sending a letter home with parents Thursday and will hold assemblies at the school to talk about drug prevention.