The sister of a teenager who died after taking a deadly hallucinogenic drug has welcomed a call from a coroner for a more structured approach to educating young people in schools about the dangers of taking such substances.
Nicole Ryan was speaking after Cork city coroner Philip Comyn, had returned a verdict of misadventure into the death of her 18-year-old brother Alex on January 22nd. She said Mr Comyn's call for a more structured approach involving the HSE, gardaí and others in Irish schools had her full backing.
"He had very good valid points about what we are trying to do with regard to raising awareness about the dangers of synthetic drugs here in Ireland, " said Ms Ryan who began her own campaign last year to educate people when she started visiting schools to talk about her brother's death.
“The HSE need to start stepping up [in this regard] in that history has repeated itself already this year. Last year we lost my brother to drugs and this year we have lost 16-year-old Michael Cornacchia who died early this year after taking another drug here in Cork.
“The scary question for parents is not when it’s going happen again, but whose child is going to be next. Because it will happen time and time again unless we start talking about it and educating our young people about the serious dangers of synthetic drugs.”
Ms Ryan said that after hearing evidence at the inquest about how others at the house party in Greenmount were so high on hallucinogenic drugs that they continued dancing while her brother was suffering cardiac arrest, people need to know about the dangers of drugs.
“Alex did willingly take that drug. And he played Russian roulette with his life, but he saved people’s lives . . . through organ donation we can look up to him and remember him for something good that he did rather than a stupid mistake he made that cost him his life.
Consequences
“My message to young people is to think about the consequences of the choices you are making because with this stuff, you never know what you are getting. Young people are young and naive and we all think when we are young that we are invincible, but the reality is that we are not.
“One mistake and you could be dead. You could take one of these drugs and the first time you get your high and you’re fine, but the next time could be your last time so there’s a lot of education needed around this and we need to start opening our eyes and realise this is a massive issue.
“We need to start doing something about it, particularly here in Cork where it is a massive issue. It was shocking to hear one of the witnesses say that she had the best time of her life that night when somebody was lying in cardiac arrest on the floor beside her.
“It was just ridiculous hearing her say that. And there are people out there for whom life is just one big party. But as we see here today, you try something and it can be your last time trying it and then the party is over; it’s all fun and games until something like this happens.”
Ms Ryan, who was praised by the coroner for taking her message to young people in schools around Cork, said that her work in schools was important to her as it helped her and her family cope with their loss. And it helped keep her brother’s memory alive.
“When I go and talk to the students, they realise he is a real person and I always say that Alex could be anybody’s child and it’s true – it could happen to anyone so easily and it really is worrying for parents to think that it’s not just a matter of when but who is next.”
