Alcohol Over Use Kills

"The Coroner of Lake County, IL talking about life and death in the purview of a County Coroner"

Dr. Richard Keller ~is preparing for a series of talks that he will be giving next month regarding the effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain. It will be part of a panel presentation regarding underage drinking prevention that a group is presenting at 4 sites. He has spoken on the effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain at several venues.

"Dr. Keller"....
Of interest to this note is that at one of the group meetings one of the others involved asked me to be sure to specifically mention “alcohol poisoning”. (We also discussed my including the fact that alcohol is the ‘number one’ date rape drug)

We don’t see alcohol overdose deaths in underage drinkers very often, most cases get intervention before they die.

While it is an infrequent cause of death, we had one in our county this week.
A young 18 year old man died of alcohol overdose (who, as fate would have it, went to high school with my daughter).

My daughter described the memorial service to me last evening; many of his friends spoke highly of him and spoke of the tragedy of his death.

We often forget that alcohol kills, not just through car crashes, but because it is itself a toxin, a poison. Consumed in large enough quantities it can and does kill. Adolescents are particularly at risk because they tend to binge drink (5 or more drinks in rapid succession) and do not get the drowsiness shut off cue that most adults get.

The relatively new Illinois felony “social host” law will likely be invoked in this case: if great bodily harm or death results, the parent (host) faces possible imprisonment and possible significant fines.

Kids shouldn’t die when they are still kids
Think, don’t take chances, make good choices!


Please tell your daughter I am sorry for her loss. I shall be thinking of her.
Vonna

Stevenson High School Lake County Coroner Speaks

I spoke with a group of 40 students at Stevenson High School yesterday. I told them about what the Coroner and his “Office” does (in some detail, I had an hour and 15 minutes). Who we are in our office and what we do (often a bit more than is done in other coroner offices). I answered a number of questions. We discussed causes of death, manners of death (natural, accident, suicide, homicide and undetermined), ways of identification, post-mortem entomology, all manners of stuff “coroner”.

It was a bit tricky because the instructors had already written the test questions based on my talks the last 2 years and I don’t talk from notes, so I can’t necessarily guaranty repetition of all the material from one year to the next. I was prompted to cover an entomology point by a question from one of the instructors, so I must have got the other material, thankfully for the test-takers.

Most importantly, at times hopefully cleverly and at times blatantly, I peppered my talk (as I always do) with tips and reminders useful in their forestalling death. Honest warnings about drugs, recommendations about making good choices and not taking chances.

Interesting, informative, cautionary, I do my best. Besides, as I told them, giving those types talks are my favorite part of the job.

What a great man~