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A Georgia mother and daughter have been arrested for dealing and possession of a dangerous drug, respectively, after the daughter’s stash of prescription-strength ibuprofen was discovered in her purse in school on Monday.

The 12-year-old girl, who was suffering from menstrual cramps, was busted for carrying a bottle of 11-and-a-half pills of ibuprofen in her purse, which the Baker Middle School searched. Another student had claimed the girl was carrying a knife, which was apparently not found. (More on Time.com: Federal Study Finds Teen Marijuana Use Up; Binge Drinking, Smoking Rates Down)

Baker Middle School’s policy is to contact police if students are discovered with drugs. In addition to the drug charge, the girl was suspended from school for 10 days.

Although it is impossible to get high on any strength of ibuprofen — sold over-the-counter under the brand names Advil and Motrin in up to 200 mg doses — Georgia law considers higher-dose tablets, of 400 mg or 800 mg, to be “dangerous drugs,” when possessed without a prescription.

The girl’s mother told the school that she gave her daughter the ibuprofen.



Why anyone would believe that possibly burdening a 12-year-old with a criminal record for possession of any drug — let alone one that isn’t psychoactive — and potentially locking up her mother for “drug distribution” would be a productive use of the criminal justice system, I can’t say. Even suspending someone from school for this type of offense is ludicrous and counterproductive.(More on Time.com: FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Taking Sexual Enhancement Pills)

If adults don’t demonstrate a sense of proportion or even common sense, how can we expect children to do so?

[H/t: Dose Nation]

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