Candy-like drugs found at junior high school

IONE, CA (KTRK) -- Harmless candy or hard drug?

Parents at one junior high school are having to re-teach an age-old lesson: Don't take candy from strangers, or in this case, classmates.

This is all happening after a student brought meth-laced pills disguised as Smarties to school.

It's a common lesson for kids and teenagers, but this week in the small town of Ione, many parents are teaching their kids to say no to candy.

"I mean who woulda thought you would have to say no to candy because it could be drugs?" says Ione Junior High parent Melissa Coviello.

Coviello says that's what she's teaching her four boys, who range from elementary to high school age after she got a voicemail from the junior high.

The voicemail states: "What looked to be Smarties were confiscated from a student. After conducting a methamphetamine test on the candy, it came back positive."

The message says on Monday, a student brought a pill to school which tested positive for methamphetamine.

The student claimed it was candy, because it looked like a pink smarty.

"It's not smart," says 7th grader Anthony Coviella.

Ione Junior High principal Bill Murray says the student in question took the pill and snorted some of it up his nose before giving it to another student.

Murray says he is shocked to see serious drugs in the hands of young teens.

"It's the first time in my career I've ever had this and I've been in the business 46 years," Murray says.

Resident Chris Martin says it is a nightmare that kids may be doing drugs, but the nightmare is now a reality for parents.

"It's an eye opener for anybody that has kids," Martin says.

Many, meantime, feel this is an isolated case, but an unfortunate wakeup call that parents need to start teaching kids about drugs starting at a young age.

"It is very very scary, and I had to sit down and go through and show not only the 7th grader, but I had to show the little ones," Coviello says. "You just can't take candy from anyone anymore."

An official says the student who brought the pills to school is an eighth grader.

The 14-year-old is now facing a drug charge.