Mixing drink and drugs is lethal, a coroner warned yesterday after hearing how a 15-year-old girl died after mixing prescription drugs obtained for her father with alcohol.
Leona Kenneally, of Sweetfield Estate, Youghal, in east Cork had been drinking with friends on the outskirts of the town on June 2nd last when she swallowed 20 distalgesics and paracetamols.
The combination of distalgesics, paracetamol and drink proved a lethal cocktail: she fell into a coma and died within two hours, an inquest into her death heard yesterday.
The South Cork coroner, Mr Frank O'Connell, said the lessons to be learnt from the tragic case were obvious.
"Young people messing with drugs, including prescription drugs, are getting involved in a dangerous business. If the message can go forth that they can kill - particularly when taken with alcohol - then I hope some good can come from this."
Mr O'Connell was commenting after the jury in the inquest returned a verdict of accidental death due to misadventure caused by a mixture of alcohol and drugs. Leona's friend, Jamie O'Shea (14), said she and Leona had met friends at the Slob Banks, outside Youghal.
They were sitting by the water at around 5 p.m. Leona was drinking lager when she took out some packets of tablets. "She was after getting them for her father at the chemist . . . She was messing and she took nearly half the tablets."
Leona drank another can of lager, then complained that she was tired and wanted to go to sleep.
"I said, `That's from all the tablets you've taken,' but she said `I'm grand. I bet £20 I'll be all right,' " said Jamie, adding that Leona fell asleep and they could not wake her despite pouring water over her face and shaking her.
Jamie's cousin, Mr Michael O'Shea (20), said Leona had initially complained of a headache and took a couple of tablets. "We told her to stop. She stopped then and said she was feeling dizzy."
Mr O'Shea said Leona talked for a while after lying down but then started moaning.
Mr Kieran Crowley (18) said he had taken some tablets from Leona and put them in his jacket, but she found them again later and took them.
"She turned purple. We threw water on her and lifted her up by the arms but we couldn't wake her," he said. He remained with Leona while others went to get help at the Garda station.
Sgt Jack Gaine rushed to the scene, where he found Kieran Crowley with Leona cradled in his arms. He called for medical assistance and an ambulance and doctor came to the scene.
The Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, said she found traces of prescribed drugs and drink in Leona's blood. The drink concentration was not particularly high, Dr Bolster told the inquest, but it was a significant amount for a child.
The traces of distalgesics and paracetamol were at toxic rather than fatal levels, Dr Bolster said.
The combination made for a lethal mix, depressing the body's central nervous system and causing Leona to fall into a coma.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death due to misadventure caused by taking a cocktail of alcohol and drugs.
Both Mr O'Connell and Insp Tom Hayes expressed their condolences to Leona's family on their tragic loss.