TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Nearly a dozen junior high students were sent to a hospital after students mistook their classmate's pepper spray for perfume and released it in their classroom.
On Nov. 26, a female student at Sanguang Junior High School in Taichung's Beitun District brought a can of pepper spray to school that her parents had purchased for her protection, reported CNA. When she stepped away from her desk at noon, two male classmates were curious about what they believed to be a bottle of perfume sitting among her belongings.
One of them reportedly dared the other to press the button as other students gathered around. The student then began to spray its contents toward his classmates.
The children immediately noticed a pungent odor and started to experience irritation in their eyes and throats, which they reported to teachers. The school called for ambulances, which rushed 11 students to a nearby hospital.
However, doctors stated that none of the students had suffered serious injuries and deemed them fit to return to school. When questioned by authorities, the student who sprayed the container said he had not known it was pepper spray and had sprayed it on his classmates because he thought it was perfume.
The Taichung Department of Education stated that since pepper spray is not considered "school supplies," it is not permitted on school grounds. The school said it would strengthen education about such products and has temporarily confiscated the pepper spray to prevent further accidental injuries.
