Two Tech Students Dead From Suspected Overdoses

On Friday, 22-year-old Texas Tech student Kacey Callaway was found dead in his apartment at ULofts. On Monday, 21-year-old Texas Tech student Jonathan Ross was found dead in his apartment at University Pointe.

Picture of Jonathan Ross from Facebook.

Picture of Jonathan Ross from Facebook.

The cause of both deaths is suspected to be an accidental overdose of prescription drugs mixed with narcotics, according to Lt. Ray Mendoza of the Lubbock Police Department. He said the causes will not be confirmed until the toxicology reports become available.

Among Americans 12 or older, 20 percent have used prescription drugs for a nonmedical reason at least once in their lifetimes, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The institute also found unintentional prescription drug overdose deaths outnumbered those from heroine and cocaine in 2007.

Photo of Kacey Callaway from Facebook.

Photo of Kacey Callaway from Facebook.

In a previous story, The Hub@TTU interviewed George Comiskey, a licensed chemical dependency counselor who teaches in Tech’s Department of Community, Family and Addiction Sciences. The interview was specifically about prescription study drugs, such as Vyvanse or Adderall.

He said a small percentage of students who use prescription drugs will end up abusing them, but since the pharmaceutical industry is so well-represented in our culture, they are fairly easy to get.

“It’s a little scary in the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare profession, how they work together,” Comiskey said. “It’s really established a situation where they become the pushers of pills.”

This story will be updated when more details become available.

About Maddy McCarty

Maddy is the Graduate Executive Director for The Hub@TTU. She loves reading, writing and petting her cats. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism, is pursuing her master's in mass communications and wants to continue reporting on important issues.

Comments

  1. Patricia Durham says

    Can anyone tell me what Texas Tech is currently doing to help with the problem of ‘study drug’ usage. Other than the online video taken each semester by the student that blankets all substances, what more is being done to educate students not to share their medications and for students not to take them that are not prescribed to do so? Currently, it seems that if a student is found to have unprescribed medications… “study drug” …the course of action is suspension or expulsion. Yes, this is a first had account.