PORTAGE | After making six drug arrests in less than 24 hours at Portage schools, Portage police Cpl. Troy Williams was worn out -- but ready in case he had to make more arrests.

"These things happen at other schools as well, but we take the proactive stance of trying to rid our school of these drugs. We're committed to that, and to educating our students and community," Williams said.

The first arrests were made Wednesday afternoon after police and Portage High School officials received a report of a 15-year-old girl snorting a powdery substance off her desk in class. The student admitted crushing up a Flexeril muscle relaxant pill and snorting it, Williams said.

Williams said the girl possessed one pill. The investigation continued and her best friend, a 14-year-old girl, was found in possession of three of the pills. Both were arrested on charges of possession of a legend drug without a prescription. The pills came from the younger girl's prescription, police said.

Williams made three more arrests about 8 a.m. Thursday at Willowcreek Middle School. Police and school officials received word of several girls passing around pills and ingesting them. The investigation showed one girl was passing around ibuprofen, but was claiming it was the prescription attention-deficit drug Ritalin. Students were ingesting four or five at a time.

Police said the 14-year-old girl possessed five different kinds of over-the-counter pills -- 30 in all -- and they said two other 14-year-old girls also were found to have possessed and dealt the pills. All three girls were arrested on charges of dealing in a substance reported to be a controlled substance. Another girl, who police say consumed but wasn't in possession of pills, is being referred to juvenile probation for possible charges

The final arrest was made about 1 p.m. Thursday at the high school after a teacher saw the number 420 (the international sign for drugs) written on a 15-year-old boy's hand. Williams said marijuana was found in the boy's locker and the youth was arrested on a possession of marijuana charge.

Williams said the arrests show the need for parents to not only watch for illegal drug usage, but to also monitor the prescription medication and over-the-counter medication in their homes.

All the students who were arrested were taken to the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center, and face school sanctions.