Teen Dies with Toxic Mix of Aspirin

TEEN DIES AFTER TAKING PAINKILLER-ASPIRIN MIX

Friday, July 12, 1996
Section: Local
Page: 2B

By: By KATHERINE CONRAD, Mercury News Staff Writer

A 16-year-old Mountain View boy died early Thursday morning after swallowing a toxic mix of at least six painkillers, 10 aspirin and then washing it all down with beer.

Almost immediately, he fell into a coma for 11 days, according to Mountain View police Lt. Patrick Langner.

The teen's friends said he took the drugs after complaining of a headache and back pain June 29. After swallowing the deadly mixture, he said he felt ill and went to the bathroom. There he began convulsing and then turned blue. His friends called 911 and began administering CPR, but the boy never regained consciousness.

One of the boy's friends mixed herself the same toxic cocktail, but didn't take quite as many pills, Langner said. She was treated for nausea and dizziness and released from El Camino Hospital.

Langner identified the painkiller the teens took as propoxyphene, from which Darvon is derived.

Paula Hekimian of the San Mateo County Drug and Alcohol Program said that this type of incident happens often with teen-agers.

''It's all part and parcel of kids believing they are invincible and not knowing the ramifications of mixing different substances. These kids think nothing will kill them,'' Hekimian said.

She urged parents to talk to their children about drugs.

''This is a nightmare that could have happened to anybody's child. These kids come from good families. They look like you, they look like me, these are not quote, unquote bad kids,'' she said. ''We're not seeing an upswing in overdose deaths, but it's still happening.''

Langner said police will investigate the case further.

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