Researchers at the University of South Florida want to investigate whether online memorials and forums that talk about death encourage teen suicide. Ilene Berson, an associate professor at the university’s Florida Mental Health Institute, said the Internet does not have the kind of censoring newspapers and broadcasters do, where news stories about suicides are sometimes played down for fear of inspiring copycats. “People say other kids are going to hear about this and they’re going to relate with that young person, particularly if everyone is saying all these wonderful things,” Berson told the St. Petersburg Times. Two recent young people left messages on MySpace.com before taking their own lives. Jonathan Link changed his screen name to “Goodbye” while Dylan Meyer, an Army private, wrote a message reminding his friends “not to be sad.” Berson hopes to determine whether MySpace members who kill themselves have been linked to others who do so or express suicidal thoughts. She and her colleagues also want to examine MyDeathSpace, which archives the MySpace pages of the dead.
Teen suicide may be spreading online
September 11, 2006 · 1 Comment
Categories: Death Culture · Health & Fitness · Mental Health
1 response so far ↓
Candy Kelly // September 18, 2006 at 10:33 pm
On January 31, 2004, my daughter and grandson committed suicide, using drugs purchased online from a company called EZ RX. My daughter was 45, and my grandson was 17.
My son and I couldn’t understand why any doctor would prescribe a lethal quantity of a drug to someone who was clinically depressed. However, when I called my daughter’s psychiatrist a few months after Leisa and Ryan died, he told me that the drugs had been purchased over the Internet and that he had filed a complaint with the California Medical Board against the person who sent them the drugs.
We were shocked to learn that my grandson was able to purchase a 3-month supply of amitriptylene (90 150-mg. pills) simply by filling out a form on a web site. This is, as they demonstrated, a lethal supply of the drug for two people.
The Tennessee Medical Board had revoked Everett Raphael Echols’ license in their state for selling a fake AIDS cure, and he had also been found to be negligent in the death of another person, yet somehow he was able to get his license to practice medicine in North Carolina, where he started approving prescriptions.
The empty pill bottle found next to the bed gave us the name of the online pharmacy, drug manufacturer, and doctor who approved and mailed the drug to their home. My children lived in California. The drugs came from New Jersey. The prescribing physician, Echols, lived and had a medical license in North Carolina. The drug company is located in Alabama.
We gave this information to the DEA and we filed a complaint against Echols with the North Carolina Medical Board, which summarily suspended and, following a hearing, permanently revoked his license to practice medicine.
The DEA immediately shut down the pharmacy through which Echols (and no doubt many others) were approving prescriptions, and criminal charges will follow sometime this year against Echols and the owners of EZ RX.
We know that Amada and Frank Carlos Hernandez of Davie, Florida ran the business known as EZ RX and RX Medical. They had run another online pharmacy in the past, which was shut down by DEA. No charges seem to have ever been filed against them. They now appear to be operating a business in Davie, Florida that is no doubt a more traditional “pill-mill” operation.
Echols was our best witness at the North Carolina Medical Board meeting. He testified that he authorized as many as 1,000 prescriptions per day for EZ RX, for which he was paid $3.00 each. He stated that in eight months he “treated” 244,000 patients. He admitted to spending less than one and a half minutes on each questionnaire, which contained fifteen questions. Needless to say, all 12 members of the North Carolina Medical Board and everyone else in the room were shocked and stunned listening to Echols’ testimony.
As I mentioned to you on the phone, Ryan was Francine Haight’s pride and joy. In 2001, he, too, obtained drugs online that resulted in his death. Francine lives in southern California and has traveled and spoken before many large groups trying to bring this practice to light. Sen. Dianne Feinstein co-authored the Ryan Haight Act, but it’s been “in committee” for several years. A quick visit to the Internet using the Haight name will give you a lot of valuable information.
Please contact me anytime at all. I always have my cell phone with me (408) 482-2770, or I’m at home after 7 p.m. (408) 374-1913. You may also call the office number (408) 370-9410 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday or 8 to 12 noon on Fridays. My son David can be reached anytime on his cell (510) 517-9179, or via email at dkelly@bea.com. David works in the City, so if you need to see him, please call.
Thank you for contacting me with such good news. I look forward to more good news.
Sincerely,
Candy Kelly and Dave Kelly