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Medics Treat 40 Ohio Middle Schoolers Who Ate Ghost Peppers

WEST MILTON, Ohio (AP/KDKA) - Officials say several dozen Ohio middle schoolers apparently ate extra-hot peppers brought in by a student and were treated by medics after some had adverse reactions.

The Dayton Daily News reports emergency crews went to Milton-Union Middle School at lunchtime Friday after approximately 40 students ingested suspected ghost peppers. Five children were taken to hospitals.

School Superintendent Brad Ritchey says some students had teary eyes, blotchy skin or hives. A 911 caller reported two students vomiting.

"The response of emergency services was amazing; deputies and help from surrounding paramedics … we really had a lot of help here this afternoon," Ritchey said. "This was serious but sometimes situations at schools become far more serious than this."

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Eighth-grader Cody Schmidt said he tried a pepper provided by a student he didn't know, then got worried when others nearby had physical reactions to the peppers.

How did they handle it? He says: "We all drank like 10 cartons of milk."

It wasn't clear if the student who provided the peppers will face discipline.

"It was definitely a disruption, and school disruptions are in our school code of conduct," Ritchey said.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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