TEXAS CITY, Texas – The Galveston County Sheriff's Office says a new type of illicit drug has been found on a Texas City middle school campus.
They believe small paper 'stamps' found Monday at Blocker Middle School had been soaked in liquid methamphetamine and then placed in foil.
According to the sheriff's office, the drug is ingested by placing the stamp on the tongue and allowing it to dissolve.
A spokesperson for Texas City ISD said the discovery came Monday afternoon after suspicion was raised about possible drug activity on campus. Melissa Tortorici said six eighth grade girls have been suspended and now face further disciplinary action.
A letter was sent home Thursday afternoon, notifying parents of the situation and encouraging them to talk to their students about the dangers of drugs.
"This is new to us. It's surprising. But we're going to educate ourselves and educate parents and students," said Tortorici.
Parents of Blocker Middle School students were shocked to hear about the drugs on campus.
"For eighth grade, yeah. For high school, maybe not so much. But eighth grade... they're little kids. My daughter is only 13," said parent Jennifer Kincer.
"I remember when I was in school; we didn't really worry about those things. And now you're afraid to send your kids to school because you just don't know what they're going to be exposed to," said parent Melissa Copado.
Tortorici said the students involved in Monday's incident were first examined by EMS personnel at the school before they were released to their parents.
The sheriff's office is working to determine where the drugs came from and how they ended up on the campus.
Because the stamps are soaked in the drug, the department also raised the concern that simply handling the stamp could lead to the substance being absorbed. They advise people who come across the stamps to avoid handling them with bare hands and contact their local law enforcement agency.