The Dublin city coroner issued a fresh warning about the dangers of drug abuse at an inquest yesterday into the death of a young man who died from pneumonia after he took a cocktail of cocaine and heroin.
Paul Cumberton (24), Rory O'Connor House, Dublin, died at home on the morning of December 18th after a night out with friends.
Dublin city coroner Dr Brian Farrell said the cocaine and heroin which Mr Cumberton had consumed had "pushed him into a deep unconsciousness," and he developed pneumonia over the course of the morning.
Mr Cumberton was rushed to Beaumont Hospital at 2.30pm, where he was pronounced dead.
A postmortem toxicology screening found Mr Cumberton had, "significant levels" of cocaine and morphine in his blood and urine at the time of his death.
"The levels of cocaine and heroin are not necessary overdose level, but they are present in significant levels," the coroner told the court.
He returned a verdict of accidental death.
Dr Farrell commiserated with Mr Cumberton's mother, Christina Cumberton, on the family's loss, and issued a warning of the dangers of "experimenting" with drugs.
"There is always a risk of sudden death, even if you only take the drugs for the first time, which we especially know here at the coroner's court."
Inquests into five deaths from cocaine-use were heard at Dublin county coroner's court last week.
The inquest heard that Mr Cumberton's family were unaware that he was using drugs.