The Mountain View Los Altos High School District, along with Mountain View police, sent a letter to parents telling them about a student that overdosed after using a street drug called "DOC."
This stretch of Stevens Creek Trail in Mountain View is popular with residents looking to embrace nature.
Resident Heidi Baikie walks this path regularly and has witnessed some teens do more than graze in the grass.
"I see kids on this trail and they're experimenting and I talk to my kids about that," she said.
Now, that conversation will take on a tone of urgency.
On Tuesday afternoon, police say a Mountain View high school student used this serene backdrop to run right into trouble after he overdosed on a drug with the street name "DOC."
"As a police department, we're very very concerned about this," Sgt. Saul Jaeger said.
Police are concerned because they're not sure if this student's use of DOC is an isolated incident, or the sign of a new trend. The student, whom they've chosen not to identify, was found lying down and unresponsive.
"Kind of a combination of hallucinogen and an amphetamine," Sgt. Jaeger said. "So you're getting sort of a different reaction. But you're looking at zombie like states, but hyper awareness."
According to police, DOC is a synthetic drug with a combination of hallucinogenic effects. They say the drug's reaction can be different for each person that takes it and possibly deadly.
"We don't know if this is gonna cause seizures, if it's gonna cause heart palpations, or heart attacks," Sgt. Jaeger said.
Investigators describe the teen's current medical status as serious. They're working to find out how and where he got the drug.
"Whether the teenager dies or not, that's almost irrelevant as far as how hard and aggressively we're going to take this case," Sgt. Jaeger said.
District administrators would not confirm if the student attended Mountain View High School. But issued a letter to parents and asked them to speak with their teens about the dangers of recreational drug use and use the high school as a resource.
"Not only is there information available, but we're going to have special sessions for parents where they can come and learn more about these drugs," said school district Superintendent Barry Groves.
The police department says "DOC" is similar to LSD in that it combines hallucinogenic and amphetamine chemicals, which produce dangerous and long-lasting effects. They include euphoria and increased awareness of sound and movement. Users also experience nausea, chest pain, and trouble breathing.
"DOC" is especially dangerous to people with high blood pressure.
Authorities say anyone who's ingested "DOC" needs immediate medical help.
