Father In Mourning Warns Of Dangers of Synthetic Drugs
FRISCO (CBSDFW.COM) - It was before last Christmas, when Eric Brown and his family's lives changed in an instant. "It's the phone call no parent ever wants to get."
Brown and his wife Tosha were away from their Frisco home on a business trip in California - when they got that call in December. "We're in route to Centennial with your younger son Montana who's not responding to CPR. Your two other sons are also in trouble, and they're in an ambulance behind us."
Montana Brown, 15, died after experimenting with the synthetic drug called "N-bomb," similar to LSD.
Brown's 16 and 20 year old sons recovered. The grieving father says a co-worker of one of his sons told them it was acid. On their fireplace, they keep Montana's ashes behind this year's class photo, and other keepsakes.
"We miss him so much, he was the peacemaker, he was the mischief maker, he was the instigator. Everyone loved him."
This past weekend, police say three McKinney ISD students overdosed on "N-Bomb", and a source says two of them were found walking naked along U.S. Highway 380.
Police departments say they started seeing synthetic drugs on the streets four years ago. Ever since then, they've become "a growing fascination among teenagers."
Sgt. Courtney Pero works in the narcotics unit at the Plano Police Department.
"The synthetic drugs are certainly trending throughout the country and that certainly includes the Metroplex, the Plano area, and Collin County," says Sgt. Courtney Pero.
He says it's been difficult for law enforcement to keep up.
"It seems like every week, every month, we're learning about some new substance that people are experimenting with or causing harm to themselves with and in some cases overdosing on. There are just so many variations of it, they're coming from so many different sources, and people are so curious."
Eric Brown says he and his wife had multiple conversations with all seven of their children about the dangers of drugs, yet can't help but feel a sense of guilt about what happened to his son.
"I just feel like I failed him, I really do."
To help cope with Montana's death, Brown tries to warn other students about the dangers.
When asked if the message has sunk in to other youngsters, Brown doesn't hesitate to say, "No."
He says it's so frustrating to him and other parents, when they confront students. "Your best friend dies, the kid you thought could get away with everything was invincible, and he dies, and yet you still doing this stuff -- why?"
It's a question he says without a logical answer.
The Collin County Substance Abuse Coalition will hold a free community forum for parents about teen substance abuse called "Be Aware, Substance Use and Its Impact On Your Family." It will take place this Saturday, April 12 from 8:30 a.m. until noon at Collin College at the Spring Creek Campus 2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano, 75074.
Sgt. Pero is one of the featured speakers.
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