Pubdate: Sat, 03 Apr 2004
Source: East Valley Tribune (AZ)
Copyright: 2004 East Valley Tribune.
Contact:  http://www.eastvalleytribune.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2708
Author: Tracy Kurtinitis and Kim Smith

DRUG DEATHS RAISE RED FLAGS

A rash of drug-related incidents involving Gilbert teenagers in the past 
weeks -- including two deaths -- has reignited questions about how 
pervasive illicit substances may be inside local schools and the social 
circles of East Valley youths.

Police, school officials and substance abuse counselors agree that 
marijuana, alcohol and methamphetamine continue to rank at the top of 
substances abused by teenagers.

On Feb. 29, 15-year-old Jillian Cleary of Chandler died two days after 
taking methamphetamine at a party in Gilbert.

Wednesday, Christopher Manciet, 18, of Gilbert died after ingesting a 
packet of cocaine to avoid being caught by police. Mesquite High School 
officials sent a letter to parents about the death, but made no reference 
to drug use.

Manciet was riding in a car with friends March 26 when a Gilbert police 
officer stopped them for a traffic violation, Cmdr. Tim Dorn said Friday. 
The officer did not notice anything out of the ordinary, Dorn said.

Friends later told police there was cocaine in the car, and that Manciet 
swallowed a packet in a panicked attempt to hide it from the officer.

Later that night, Dorn said fire crews were sent to treat Manciet for 
seizures at a Gilbert apartment complex in the 300 block of Civic Center 
Drive. He was taken to Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa. Police are 
still waiting for toxicology results.

The Gilbert Unified School District is contending with other incidents on 
campuses involving prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Mesa police and fire officials confirmed Friday a 15-year-old girl at the 
Gilbert district's Desert Ridge High S chool was hospitalized Thursday on 
suspicion she had taken the muscle relaxant carisoprodol, brand name Soma, 
and painkiller Vicodin, or hydrocodone. The girl admitted taking both 
drugs, but denied she was distributing them, said Mesa police Sgt. Chuck 
Trapani.

In early March, 29 Gilbert high school students were suspended for buying, 
using or possessing a muscle relaxant on campus, and two girls overdosed on 
cold medicine and antidepressants March 25. District officials denied 
there's a problem, but school resource officers disagree.

"Less than 1 percent of our students are suspended for drugs and we have 
zero tolerance," said district spokeswoman Dianne Bowers. Resource officers 
said a lot of students don't get caught and reported a significant problem 
with Soma and cold medicines.

As the district and officers sort it out, more students are getting caught 
with Soma, a prescription drug that can cause barbiturate or alcoholtype 
effects. Many cold medicines contain the cough suppressant 
dextromethorphan, which can cause hallucinations. Taken to excess, users 
can die.

Bowers said the district has sent letters this week to parents of high 
school students addressing the Soma issue and will send a letter next week 
districtwide. She also said the district recently invited parents to a 
forum on drug trends.

Tribune requests for copies of the letters and pamphlet were denied and 
high school principals did not know about the information. Superintendent 
Brad Barrett was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Gilbert police Sgt. Paula Krueger said Soma was a major concern among her 
school resource officers before the suspensions.

As for cold medicines, teens have always abused them, but "now kids are 
taking them in amounts that hurt them and in combinations that can kill 
them," Krueger said.

Russ Warrington, prevention specialist with the nonprofit drug counseling 
agency Scottsdale Prevention Institute, said even the best parents can be 
fooled.

"It's impossible to watch out for everything," Warrington said.

Overall, 54 Gilbert junior high and high school students were arrested in 
drug cases last year, Krueger said. Eight have been arrested this year.

In the Mesa Unified School District, officials said 14 students have been 
suspended this year for possessing or being under the influence of 
prescription drugs. Of those, eight were caught with Soma and one with the 
painkiller oxycodone, brand name Percocet. The other four were caught with 
other prescription drugs.

Overall, Mesa police have responded to 20 drug-related calls this year. 
Last year, they reported 107 drug-related calls.

David Shuff, director of guidance and counseling for the Mesa district, 
said teenagers have been shifting to prescription drugs and cold medicines 
because they have easy access to them. They can either get them cheap in 
Mexico or out of their parents' medicine cabinets.

Warrington said alcohol and marijuana are still favored by teens, but Soma 
has been found on every Scottsdale campus.

Tom Herrmann, spokesman for the Scottsdale Unified School District, said 
there have been no problems reported all year with students taking 
prescription drugs.

"We have none of it as far as I'm aware," Herrmann said. 
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman