PARENTS SUE DRUG DEALERS OVER TEENS' OD DEATHS

CHICAGO - Parents of two suburban Chicago teen-agers who died two years ago
after overdosing on drugs are suing the people who sold them the drugs.

The parents have based their lawsuits on the 1996 Illinois Drug Dealer
Civil Liability Act that allows victims to hold drug dealers just as
accountable for injuries as manufacturers who produce defective products.

Until now, the law has not been applied in Illinois. Fourteen other states
have similar laws in place. The lawsuits were filed earlier this year in
McHenry and DuPage counties.

"The main reason they are bringing this forth is to have their day in
court," said Chicago Attorney John Kreamer, who is representing the two
families. "Hopefully, this suit will serve as a deterrent to anyone
participating in illegal drugs."

Sara Aeschlimann, 18, of Naperville died in May 2000 after a dealer slipped
amphetamine into her drink.

Steven Lorenz, 17, died a week earlier after he mistakenly took a lethal
dose of amphetamine that he thought was the drug Ecstasy. He died in his
McHenry apartment.

Last year, Steven Jergensen, 22, of Round Lake Beach was sentenced to four
years in prison for selling the impostor drug to Lorenz. That sentence
could be reduced after an Illinois Appellate Court overturned it.

Jergensen could be re-sentenced on Aug. 23.

Al Salvi, who sponsored the legislation when he was a Republican member of
the Illinois House, said the law is "cutting-edge" and could "open the
floodgates" for people to sue drug dealers.

Still, critics say the law is not realistic because victims are rarely able
to collect award money from drug dealers.