12 more preschoolers test negative for sedatives in New Taipei drugging scandal

2023-06-13

We start with an update on New Taipei’s preschool drugging scandal. Urine drug tests on another 12 children came back negative on Tuesday. Results are still pending for one child, but already that makes 26 negatives out of 27 samples. Critics accuse New Taipei City of being slow to investigate and missing the urine testing window for sedatives. Testing will next be conducted on the children’s hair samples, where the drugs can be detected for up to three months.

The health ministry ran urine tests on 27 children involved in New Taipei’s preschool drugging scandal, and the first 14 tests had come back negative. On Tuesday, another 12 tests returned negative. Now only one test is still pending.

Lin Ching-feng
Health official
The results are all negative. It is in line with what we had expected, because it is likely that the half-life of the drugs has passed, or that they’ve been metabolized or excreted. We have records from 31 phone call inquiries. They are willing to offer hair samples for testing. Drugs can be detected in hair samples for more than three months.

The DPP accuses New Taipei City of reacting too slowly, forcing investigators to miss the window for performing drug tests.

Chang Chih-hao
DPP spokesperson
The city government dragged its feet for more than 20 days before deciding to do a drug test. It deliberately waited until the drugs would not show up in a test. That is fact. The Hou administration is lying to society, and it’s using the judiciary to cover up the truth. The heads of the relevant agencies and departments refuse to acknowledge they made a mistake in their decision-making process, or admit that the city government handled the matter poorly. All this has left parents feeling anxious and helpless.

Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
If Chairman Lai Ching-te is saying that the matter was reported to us very early on, that’s just a smear campaign, a fabrication. The moment that the New Taipei government was notified of the matter, it was reported to the investigation agency at the district prosecutors office. Vice President Lai Ching-te is just sowing panic and contributing to the spread of false narratives.

Chen Nai-yu
New Taipei councilor (DPP)
On May 22, a parent called the Education Department headed by Chang Ming-wen 張明文. The department said that it wouldn’t be until the following week that a task force would be formed. They told the parent to call again one week later.

Hou Yu-ih
New Taipei mayor
The investigation was launched on May 15.

Chen Nai-yu
New Taipei councilor (DPP)
The parent called on May 22, there is a record of the call.

Hou left city council as soon as the allotted time for his report was up. With many unknowns looming, the scandal has become yet another cause for mudslinging ahead of the presidential election.

餵藥案續燒! 侯矛頭對準賴綠反轟不認錯

2023-06-13

衛福部週二公布新北幼兒園餵藥案的第二批12人尿液採檢報告，結果全數都是陰性。醫福會執行長林慶豐表示，可能已經過了半衰期，或在體內代謝排泄了。外界質疑新北市府處理太慢，拖過檢驗時機，不過侯友宜把矛頭對準對手賴清德，轟他抹黑造謠製造恐慌。綠營反批侯友宜不認錯。

新北市幼兒園餵藥案，衛福部針對27位就醫幼童採檢尿液，第一批14人都是陰性，第二批12人也是陰性，還有1人結果尚未出爐。

[[醫福會執行長林慶豐]]
“結果都是陰性，其實是跟我們的預測是差不多的，為什麼？其實有可能是已經過了半衰期，或是已經在體內代謝，或是已經排泄掉了。我們有31通諮詢的電話，我們都留下他們的紀錄，他們有意願說要留毛髮，因為毛髮存在裡面可能可以超過三個月。”

民進黨質疑新北市府處理太慢，拖過檢驗時機。

[[民進黨發言人張志豪]]
“事實上就是整個市府拖了20多天，才對孩子實施藥檢，故意拖到小朋友都驗不到了，這個就是事實。整個侯市府就在欺騙社會，又用司法來蓋牌。相關局處首長兩手一攤不認決策失誤，市府行政擺爛，這個結果讓家長慌亂無助。”

[[新北市長侯友宜]]
“賴清德主席其實如果用我們很早就有接到通報，其實這就是一個抹黑，就是一種造謠，事實上，新北市從一開始就是一接到第一時間，就報給地檢署指揮偵辦，所以賴副總統都是製造恐慌，讓很多人以訛傳訛。”

[[新北市議員(民) 陳乃瑜]]
“5月22號有家長打去給張明文局長的教育局，教育局回說，下禮拜才有專案小組調查，下禮拜再來電。”

[[新北市長侯友宜]]
“5月15號當天就啟動了。”

[[新北市議員(民) 陳乃瑜]]
“5月22號家長打去，有通聯記錄的喔。”

專案報告的時間一到，侯友宜沒有多停留，立刻離開，議會這關雖然交代過去了，但案情一天沒釐清，選情就難以止血。