A Lawrence High School student has been suspended and faces possible criminal charges after being found carrying dozens of prescription painkillers and antidepressants in his backpack.

“Clearly, the drug of choice that we see, besides alcohol, is marijuana. We don’t normally see the pills,” LHS Principal Steve Nilhas said. “Every once in a while we have some that show up, but they’re usually in smaller quantities.”

Nilhas said it was the largest amount of prescription drugs found on a student at the school in recent years.

School officials found the drugs on Feb. 24 during a search of the 18-year-old student’s backpack after he had been called to meet with a police officer about an unrelated matter. Police did not report the case to the press until Thursday.

According to a police report, officers recovered 59 pills in all – 30 of the antidepressant Zoloft, five of the painkiller propoxyphene and 24 containing the painkiller hydrocodone mixed with an antibiotic.

The student’s explanation was that he had taken them from a family member intending to use them himself and forgot they were in his backpack, said LHS Associate Principal Matt Brungart.

But given the quantity and the fact that they were in plastic baggies instead of pill bottles, the school disciplined the student for possession with intent to distribute drugs, Brungart said.

He was suspended for five days. No criminal charges have been filed, and police have sent the pills for laboratory testing.

Brungardt said he could think of just one other recent case at the school in which a student was found with unauthorized prescription drugs. But the prior case involved just two or three pills, he said.

Several people interviewed outside the school Thursday said they didn’t know prescription drug abuse to be a widespread problem at the school. Robin Chavez, parent of an LHS senior, said she thinks recreational use of the drugs is becoming more common, in part because some parents don’t supervise what their children do with legitimate prescriptions.

“They’re kids. They’re going to pass it around to their friends – ‘Here, this will make you feel good,'” she said.

Junior Danielle Gaffney said she had never seen prescription pills being distributed at school before but wouldn’t be surprised if it happened.

Sophomore Robert Curtis said marijuana is the drug most commonly used by students, not prescription pills.

Senior Jon Morris said it’s common for students to bring their own prescription drugs to school without clearing them first with the school nurse as required.

“I don’t see prescription drugs being sold or anything,” he said. “I do see marijuana sold around here.”