DUBLIN CITY coroner has expressed concern at the high number of instances where cocaine is being cut with lignocaine, a heart drug and local anaesthetic which increases the cardio-toxic effects of cocaine.
Dr Brian Farrell made his comments during two separate inquests into the deaths of young men at Dublin City Coroner’s Court yesterday, in both of which instances cocaine and lignocaine were consumed.
Darren Cummins (35) of Kilbarron Drive, Kilmore, Dublin 5, was discovered lying on his bedroom floor by his 15-year-old daughter on the afternoon of October 1st, 2007.
A toxicology screening revealed he had consumed cocaine which was cut with lignocaine, as well as methadone and sedative drugs, and he had died from the toxic effect of those drugs.
Meanwhile, a second inquest into the death of Andrew Sheridan (22) of North Great Charles Street, Dublin, heard that the young man was found unconscious on a friend’s couch on the morning of July 27th, 2007 and had a large combination of drugs in his system including cocaine, heroin, sedative drugs, methadone and lignocaine.
“Lignocaine is increasingly being used as an adulterant for cocaine on the streets and we are concerned about it. There is a concern about the use of the drug in inducing or enhancing cocaine-induced cardiac arrhythmia. It increases the cardio-toxic effects of cocaine,” Dr Farrell said.
Because Mr Sheridan was brought by ambulance to the Mater Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, lignocaine may have been used to resuscitate him, which would account for the presence of the drug, but the cocaine he consumed may have been cut with the adulterant, the court heard.
Mr Cummins, who was on a methadone maintenance programme and was waiting for a place on a methadone detox programme, was last seen by his mother and sister around midnight on October 1st.
His daughter found his body the following day when she went upstairs to see whether her father was awake. He was cold and had been dead for a number of hours.
Sobs of grief filled the courtroom yesterday as his mother, Marie Cummins, said that Mr Cummins had lived for his daughter and had made plans for her 16th birthday, her debs and for college.
The coroner recorded verdicts of death by misadventure in both cases and expressed his condolences to the families.