Tainted grape juice leads to lockdown, hospitalizations at West Philadelphia school

Several students were hospitalized Wednesday after they drank grape juice that was mixed with an unknown substance suspected to be an opioid, officials said.

Police locked down Crossroads Accelerated Academy – a public middle school in West Philadelphia – at around 12:15 p.m., and medics took a group of students who reported feeling ill to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, according to authorities.

The children were listed in stable condition, police said, and a School District of Philadelphia spokesperson said they were being kept “for observation.”

A preliminary investigation found that the juice was “laced with an opioid substance,” the district spokesperson, Marissa Orbanek, said. District officials said a student brought the juice to school.

“We take situations like this very seriously as they have the potential to compromise the safe and appropriate learning environment we strive to provide to our students every day,” Orbanek said in a statement. “We encourage families to speak to their children about the dangers of drug use and consuming an unknown substance and have resources available if guardians need additional support.”

Crossroads Accelerated Academy is a program for students who are entering 7th and 8th grades at an older age and allows them to complete multiple grades at once to catch up. It is housed alongside Philadelphia Learning Academy-South at 4300 Westminster Ave.