Quebec police investigate after child hands out pills on school bus

Quebec provincial police are investigating reports an elementary school student handed out pills on a school bus earlier in the week. (Photo: Kurt Bauschardt/Flickr)

JOLIETTE, Que.—Quebec provincial police are investigating reports an elementary school student handed out pills on a school bus earlier in the week.

Preliminary information suggests the child believed they were candy, Sgt. Daniel Thibaudeau said Thursday.

“A student of a young age handed out tablets to certain people, mentioning they were candy,” he said in a phone interview.

The incident occurred Monday on a school bus near Saint-Paul, about an hour north of Montreal.

Thibaudeau said it was too early to know what the pills contained or whether there will be any arrests.

He said police would work with the school and youth protection workers in the coming weeks.

“(There’s a need to) talk to the students and make them aware of the dangers of this type of product, if it is indeed a drug,” he said.

He would not confirm the age of the student or how many people were affected.

He said the tablets had been sent to a laboratory for testing.

A spokeswoman for the school board confirmed to The Canadian Press that all the students were in good health.

Diane Fortin added the board had contacted the parents of students at La Passerelle elementary school.

“Although this was an isolated incident, we’re reminding children of the rules of safety and making parents aware to do it with their children,” she wrote in a notice to parents.