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5 different drugs found in body of US exchange student
07 Apr 2010
Source: The Straits Times
DOCTORS found five different drugs in the body of American exchange student Scott Jared Monat, who collapsed in his hostel room at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in March last year.
The 20-year-old, who died a few hours later in hospital, was found to have a cocktail of Xanax tranquillisers, the anti-depressant Sertraline, the painkiller Oxy-Contin, insomnia medicine Ambien and gamma hydroxbutrate, or GHB, a drug which generates euphoria and reduces inhibitions.
At his inquest yesterday, forensic pathologist Wee Keng Poh told the court that Mr Monat had also taken alcohol before he died on March 4 last year from complications brought on by his reaction to the drugs and alcohol.
Dr Wee said that mixing such medication and alcohol was a dangerous combination.
“These drugs singly or in concert with one another, together with alcohol, could cause a mixed drug reaction that gives rise to sudden heart failure.”
In particular, GHB, a date rape drug which can be abused by club-goers, is very dangerous when mixed with alcohol because it can lead to vomiting and loss of consciousness, he said.
However, Dr Yao Yi Ju, a toxicologist who took the stand after Dr Wee yesterday, said the GHB found in Mr Monat’s body was likely to have been produced naturally.
The dead youth’s father, Mr Richard Monat, who was present at the inquest, asked Dr Wee how long it would take for the GHB to affect his son, if he had indeed taken the drug.
When told it would take 30 minutes, Mr Monat, who flew in from New York to attend the hearing, said an abuser would be unlikely to take the drug at 4.30am. His son had collapsed at 5am.
Dr Wee agreed.
Yesterday, second-year NUS electrical engineering undergraduate Prasanta Mandal, 21, who stayed in the room opposite that of the American student at the Prince George’s Park Residences hostel, told the court he had collected the younger Mr Monat’s bottles of prescription drugs after the young American had been taken to hospital.
All the bottles had prescription labels with Mr Monat’s name on them, he said.
State Coroner Victor Yeo had heard on Monday that Mr Monat suffered from panic attacks and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Although some of his medications were prescribed by doctors in the United States before he came to Singapore in January last year, a friend testified that Mr Monat abused other prescription drugs that he said he received from 27-year-old bank officer Jason Ho Zhi Yuan.
The inquiry continues today.
