PD Editorial: Seeking lessons from a teen's tragic death

<p>The death of 14-year-old Takeimi Rao of Santa Rosa is shrouded even deeper in mystery this week now that investigators say they know what killed the girl last summer.</p><p>The cause, they say, was a fatal dose of GHB, one of several so-called date rape drugs that she consumed during a sleep-over party she was hosting at her home.</p><p>Did she take it accidentally or intentionally? Did someone slip it into her drink that evening, or had it been left in something she consumed? No one seems to know at this point. Investigators are still trying to sort it all out and are eager to hear from anyone who may have information about what happened that night.</p><p>What is known, as Staff Writer Kerry Benefield reported this week, is that GHB, Gamma-hydroxybutyrate, is considered rare by both law enforcement and those who deal with drug and alcohol issues on a regular basis. Emergency room doctors say they seldom see cases involving teenagers who have taken the drug, but there's no question of its dangers particularly when combined with alcohol. The combination can slow breathing to crisis levels.</p><p>What is also not a mystery is that, regardless of the specifics, this death remains a tragedy — and a cautionary tale.</p><p>It may seem hard to imagine that children as young as eighth grade are exposed to risks associated with drugs and alcohol, but studies show this is increasingly true. According to the University of Michigan's latest Monitoring the Future survey, use of illicit drugs by teens continued to rise last year for the fourth straight year. This was primarily driven by an increase in marijuana use.</p><p>The study found that in 2011, 20 percent of eighth graders had tried at least one illicit drug within the past year, while among 10th graders it was 38 percent. The study found half of high school seniors reported having used a drug at least once.</p><p>The good news is that the number of students reporting having used drugs other than marijuana has been steadily declining over the years. Eighteen percent of seniors say they had tried an illicit drug other than marijuana in the previous 12 months while for eighth graders it was 6 percent. For tenth graders it was 11 percent.</p><p>Also encouraging is that teen use of alcohol is on the decline as well. The study, which has been tracking teenage behaviors since 1975, showed that 63.5 percent of high school seniors drank alcohol in the past year, down from nearly 75 percent in 1997.</p><p>The study shows 13 percent of eighth graders had reported drinking alcohol in the previous 30 days, down from 25 percent in 1991.</p><p>These trends indicate parents, teachers and students, by and large, are doing something right. Nevertheless, the numbers are still disturbingly high and underscore the need for continued conversations at home and at school about the dangers of alcohol and drug use — and the combinations of both.</p><p>Meanwhile, investigators need to continue to press for answers as to what happened with Rao. There may be additional lessons in this tragedy for everyone to learn, lessons that could save a life.</p>