TEENS AT RISK

Alcohol And Drugs Also Are Killers

The death of 14-year-old Nia Coleman from a combination of drugs, alcohol
and sex reminds us that, although everybody's focused on school shootings
right now, alcohol, drugs and risky behavior continue to wreak carnage
among teen-agers today.

A medical examiner's toxicology report released this week shows that the
Mira Mesa High School student, found dead in a park earlier this year, had
a combination of alcohol and the drug GHB in her blood stream. She also had
sex the night she died. Mixing alcohol and GHB is extremely dangerous, and
can lead to respiratory failure. The examiner's report said the drugs,
alcohol and sex may have contributed to sudden cardiopulmonary arrest.

GHB contributed to the deaths of at least three San Diego County teens in
the last two years, according to the medical examiner's records. But
alcohol is the real killer. Alcohol-related incidents are the leading cause
of death for 16-to 20-year-olds in San Diego County, according to the
county Emergency Medical Services Department.

In 1998, 12 San Diego County teens were killed in alcohol-related traffic
accidents alone. Last year, 1,844 teen-age drivers were involved in drunken
driving accidents throughout California. San Diego County had the third
highest number of all counties.

A recent study by the San Diego Unified School District showed that 40
percent of high school students had at least one drink during the 30 days
preceding the survey, and that 22 percent had five drinks or more on one
occasion in that time period.

School shootings are indeed shocking and horrifying. But the sad death of
Nia Coleman serves notice that a greater danger to our children still lurks
out there.