FAU DEATHS PART OF RISE IN DRUG USE AT FLORIDA SCHOOLS

Study: Cocaine, Prescription Drug Use Up At State Schools

Manuel Larenas wants his fellow students to stay away from drugs.

So Larenas, a member of Florida Atlantic University's "Peer Education
Team," was distraught when he learned one of his classmates died of an
apparent overdose.

"We've been very active trying to bring awareness, and when a student
dies, you feel like you're not doing that good of a job," he said.

The deaths Sunday of freshman Nicole Phillips, 18, and her off-campus
friend, Richard Cardinale, 19, put a spotlight on what statistics
suggest is a stubborn problem on college campuses.

Figures show a decline in overall drug use among college students
nationwide, but there are some trouble spots. Cocaine use is up, and
in Florida, it's a problem in college towns such as Gainesville with
the University of Florida, Tallahassee with Florida State University,
and Boca Raton with FAU, said Dr. Mark S. Gold, who conducts addiction
research for the University of Florida.

Abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise among college-aged
students, said Jim Hall, a researcher at Nova Southeastern University
in Davie. He conducted a drug usage study for the United Way of
Broward County.

He said popular drugs include tranquilizers such as Xanax, painkillers
such as Oxycontin and Percocet and stimulants such as Ritalin. Many of
these drugs are stolen from family medicine cabinets or bought on the
street, he said.

FAU handled 36 drug-related discipline cases in 2005, up from 33 in
2004 and 11 in 2003. Officials say one reason for the rise is that the
campus is becoming younger, serving more students right out of high
school.

"We always have had very low statistics, but the reality is when you
have a more mature population, it really helps you," said Rosemary
Dunbar, who directs wellness programs for the university. "Now we're
reaching out and recruiting more 18-year-olds, and they are more at
risk."

Charles Brown, vice president for student affairs, said he believes
the university has good drug prevention programs. But he said the
campus deaths will prompt officials to review their efforts to see
what can be strengthened.

Larenas believes such a review is necessary.

"Whether it's more funding or resources for groups like ours, I think
there definitely needs to be a push for what could be done to improve
things," he said.

FAU police have not said what drug killed Phillips and Cardinale. They
are awaiting the results of a toxicology report.

But Amanda Perez, 19, who lived with Cardinale and another roommate in
a Boca Raton apartment for about two months, said Phillips was a
regular Xanax user and bought the prescription drug from a dealer on
campus.

She said Cardinale told students in Phillips' dormitory the night
before they were found dead that he and Phillips were using a
combination of Xanax, powdered morphine and alcohol. She said they
were dating and weren't heavy drug users.

"They were good kids. They're just experimenting," Perez said. "This
was a fluke."

Hall said more young people also are reporting mixing two or more
drugs, which dramatically increases toxicity and can increase the
chance of death.

The reasons for drug abuse vary, he said. Some take Ritalin because
they view it as a "smart drug" that can help them concentrate on their
studies.

"Others deal with the stress of a heavy college load or exams or to
escape from pressure," he said.

Drug overdose deaths are rare on college campuses. These were the
first at FAU in four years. But drug and alcohol abuse create many
other problems that educators warn students about, including flunking
out of school, losing a scholarship, having unwanted sex or getting
arrested.

Students receive drug education during their freshman orientation and
during a college skills class that most freshmen take.

But Dunbar said it's a constant battle to reach students.

"As soon as you think you're getting the message across, another drug
seems to be looming or there's another way of misusing drugs that pops
up," she said. "Young people are always way ahead of the game."

Staff Writer Leon Fooksman contributed to this report.