School spokesman Doug Young lashed out at the operators of "I'm Shmacked," which he described as a video project and related online business run by a former Lower Merion student.
"Communities across the country are struggling with these same issues - with teenagers making incredibly dangerous decisions involving drugs and alcohol. For a company to glorify and profit from these behaviors is particularly appalling," Young said.
Mike McGrath, Lower Merion police superintendent, said the department's juvenile unit had a copy of the video and was investigating.
"It is unknown at this time whether the investigation will lead to criminal charges being filed against anyone," McGrath said.
The Facebook page for "I'm Shmacked" identified its creators as Yofray Ray, 18, and Arya Toufanian, 19. Ray's personal Facebook page says he graduated from Lower Merion High and lived in Narberth before moving to Manhattan. Toufanian is studying at George Washington University, according to his personal Facebook page, and grew up in Potomac, Md.
Ray and Toufanian described the series of college videos as "a movie documenting the experience of a weekend at 20 of the best and biggest universities around the United States intertwined with a book and a website being pitched to major publishers and studios."
"No alcohol or illegal substance is used during the filming, just props for a movie," the Facebook page states. "However, I personally am completely Shmacked when filming/photoing."
McGrath said one aspect of the investigation was to check the videographers' contention that the substances were only props.
"Clearly the video depicts underage drinking and illegal drug use," McGrath said.
Montgomery Couny District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said that while she was troubled by illegal acts depicted in the video, the taping itself did not warrant investigation by the county.
