Alcohol and marijuana still the substances of choice

Colin Mathews, the 15-year-old who died after taking an unconfirmed amount of OxyContin on March 28, was not the only one in his circle of friends misusing prescription medications.

From ‘friend’ entries on his MySpace page, it appears the pain killer morphine; attention deficit pills Adderall, Focalin and Dexedrine; and cough suppressant dextromethorphan, which can induce hallucinations in high doses, were all used recreationally among his peers.

Add to that list alcohol, marijuana, hallucinogenic mushrooms and accounts of being in “outerspace” and passed out “in a puddle of vomit,” and it’s clear that these teens were no strangers to experimentation.

Canary in the coal mine?

While the death of a teen is nothing short of tragic, do the circumstances surrounding it hint at a larger problem islandwide?

By all accounts from Kaua‘i officials, prescription drugs fall far behind alcohol and marijuana among the top choices for teens. Nevertheless, “pharming,” or misusing pharmaceuticals to get high, is on the rise.

“The good news is we have a lot of children who do not experiment,” said county Anti-Drug Coordinator Theresa Koki. “The bad news, however, is that other teens show no fear when it comes to trying drugs.”

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(Source: Blake Jones, Kauai Garden island News)