DRUG MIX KILLED 3 POLICE SAY

SARASOTA - A lethal mixture of prescription drugs caused the death of
three Sarasota youths in August, authorities announced Wednesday.

Toxicology reports from the District 12 Medical Examiner's Office
indicate that Michael R. Carlisle, 23, Joshua R. Babbs, 23, and
Stephany McClure, 17, all of Sarasota, died of "acute multi-drug
toxicity," according to a news release from the Sarasota Police
Department. The three died during separate incidents and were among at
least five drug-related deaths in Sarasota in August.

Blood and urine tests found a lethal combination of pain killers,
depressants and cannabinoids in their system.

Drugs in the test results included methadone, morphine, Alprazolam,
Nordiazepam, Oxazepam and Temazepam.

While ingesting one of the drugs alone would not have resulted in
death, the medical report indicates that the lethal combination the
three took was enough to kill them, the release stated.

While the recent findings brought the Sarasota Police Department's
investigation to a close, anti-drug activists say the battle against
the rising abuse of prescription medication among youths in Manatee
and Sarasota counties is far from over.

"Prescription drug abuse among adolescents is skyrocketing," said Lisa
Philips, executive director of the Substance Abuse Coalition of
Sarasota. "They're way too accessible. These drugs are physically and
mentally addictive."

Joshua L. Maxwell, 22, and Eric Chapman, 20, both of Sarasota, also
died from drug overdoses around the same time as Carlisle, Babbs and
McClure. While officers learned the five youths knew each other,
investigators determined the deaths were not related.

"We started out investigating all five cases," Sarasota Police
Department spokesman Jay Frank said. "Then we went our separate ways."

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate the
deaths of Maxwell and Chapman. Toxicology reports in those cases were
not available Wednesday.

Investigators determined that it appears that Carlisle, Babbs and
McClure had a history of drug use and exchanged drugs with each other.
There is no evidence to support where the three got the drugs, the
report stated.

Symptoms such as drowsiness, poor control over motor skills and
slurred speech are indicators of prescription drug use, according to
Philips.

"When they're taking this stuff, the high makes them seem like they're
drunk," Philips said. "The combination of these drugs can kill you.
It's nothing to mess around with."