The parents of an Iowa State University student who died from a drug overdose filed a wrongful death lawsuit against LTK Research Products of North Dakota this month.
The suit claims the company was able to sell the student dextromethorphan over the Internet by disguising itself as a company that sells the drug to legitimate researchers.
The potentially dangerous drug is commonly found in over-the-counter cough medicine but can produce hallucinations similar to LSD or Ecstacy when taken in excess.
| The Issue Parents of drug overdose victim sue company that sold the drugs. |
While it appears that the purchase of drugs such as this one over the Internet is frighteningly easy, the parents of the victim are pointing a finger, seeking someone to blame for their child’s untimely death.
The family would be more effective in instigating change and preventing future occurrences of this kind by focusing their efforts in places other than the courtroom.
The events that followed the deaths of two college drowning victims in Wisconsin exhibit the different approaches.
The parents of UW-La Crosse student Jared Dion filed a lawsuit against the university after Dion drowned in the Mississippi River after a heavy night of drinking in this fall. While a victory may alleviate some of the family’s grief, it will likely do little to curtail future deaths.
On the other hand, the parents of UW-Eau Claire student Michael Noll, who drowned in the Chippewa River in 2003, reacted differently to their son’s death.
They approached Water Street bar owners and worked to make 21st birthday drink specials less of a catalyst for binge drinking. Frivolous lawsuits such as this one strain the judicial system by tying up government resources, yet do very little to make change.
These families must realize that their children made grave mistakes, and that fault lies with them.
Then they can seek out the root of the problem and find alternative ways to prevent future tragedies of the same kind.
