Teachers at a kindergarten in New Taipei, Taiwan, have been accused of using cough syrups containing drugs like phenobarbital and benzodiazepines to calm the students.
The police have been conducting an investigation for several weeks, but it remains unclear why these addictive syrups were given to the children.
The scandal has led to protests by families outside government buildings.
On Sunday, hundreds of people demonstrated in New Taipei City, calling for more transparency in the police investigation.
In a separate case, which came to light on Monday, a medical practice in the southern city of Kaohsiung was involved. The local health department found four doctors guilty of abusing and inappropriately administering phenobarbital to approximately 20 children.
The practice has been suspended for six months and fined 1.4 million Taiwan dollars.
To address the growing concerns of the public, Taipei City Hospital has started offering free blood tests to pre-school children to check for any traces of sedatives.
Mike, the father of a five-year-old, stated that they noticed withdrawal symptoms in their children during the Lunar New Year holiday in February.
"Some parents observed their children being irritable, restless, screaming, and even crying due to leg cramps during the holidays," he said.
A Taiwanese pharmacist informed local media that although it is rare, some cough and gastrointestinal medications may contain phenobarbital.
Phenobarbital-containing medications are primarily used in the treatment of epilepsy and as a surgical anesthetic, and they are difficult to obtain.
Benzodiazepines are a class of depressant drugs commonly used to treat severe anxiety.
These drugs are highly addictive, and an overdose can result in drowsiness and shortness of breath.
