Wednesday, January 7, 2004
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Wednesday, January 7, 2004 |
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Officials worry about rash of drug overdoses By JOHN MUNFORD Three deaths over the holiday period and the September death of a Sandy Creek High School student are being linked in part to overdoses on prescription drugs. Two of the victims apparently overdosed after “partying,” said Lt. Col. Bruce Jordan of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department. Suicide is not indicated as a factor in any of the cases, he added. Two of the victims had Oxycontin, a narcotic painkiller, in their system while the two others had taken Xanax, which is typically prescribed for managing anxiety disorders. In all four cases, the medical examiner noted that consumption of the prescription medication “contributed to their death,” Jordan said. Four overdoses in this time span is an unusually high amount for Fayette County, Jordan added. Although Jordan wouldn’t provide more specific details on each case, he said the victims were: • A 22-year-old man found dead in his house in Tyrone Dec. 20; • A 22-year-old college student found dead in his parent’s south Fayette home Jan. 3; • A 39-year-old mother of two small children found dead in her south Fayette home Jan. 5; • A 15-year-old Sandy Creek High School student found dead at her residence Sept. 13. Jordan urged caution when taking prescription medication. “Just because it comes in a prescription bottle doesn’t make it any less lethal,” Jordan said.
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