Pubdate: Sun, 09 Sep 2012
Source: Mail Tribune, The (Medford, OR)
Copyright: 2012 The Mail Tribune
Contact:  http://www.mailtribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/642
Author: Chris Conrad

FAMILY OF DEAD MAN: HE'D USED 'BATH SALTS'

23-year-old's father says drugs found in son's home to blame for
erratic behavior

TALENT -- The Talent man who died after a violent struggle with police
last week might have used the dangerous drug "bath salts" hours before
his death, according to family members.

The father of Christoph LaDue Jr., 23, said a baggie that contained
bath salts was found in his home, suggesting LaDue had smoked the drug
before his deadly encounter with police.

"If he hadn't of used that stuff, he would be alive today," said an
emotional Christoph LaDue Sr. "This bath salts stuff killed my boy."

Jackson County sheriff's detectives did not return calls seeking
comment. Police normally won't divulge details of a case until after
an investigation is completed.

However, LaDue is convinced his son had used bath salts because his
behavior that day was very much out of character.

Police were called to LaDue's home on Wagner Creek Road after a
neighbor said he ran to the home and tried to enter.

LaDue Sr. said his son did not mean any harm to the neighbor but was
trying to seek help after the effects of the bath salts.

"He kept screaming, 'Dad, I'm on fire, dad, I'm on fire,' " LaDue Sr.
said.

"He wasn't trying to break into someone's house to cause harm. He was
a gentle soul."

The family struggled with LaDue before he broke free and ran to the
neighbor's house.

Police arrived and battled with LaDue, using Tasers that seemed to
have no effect.

Finally, the officers fought LaDue to the ground and were able to
handcuff him.

Ladue's heart stopped shortly afterward. Nearby medical personnel, who
had come to the initial call for help and had been standing by,
immediately attempted to resuscitate Ladue before transporting him to
Rogue Regional Medical Center. He died an hour later.

LaDue suffered from schizophrenia but had no history of violence, his
father said.

"He was a good kid and was doing so well," LaDue Sr. said. "He was
going to (Rogue Community College) and playing drums in a band."

LaDue did not understand his son's bizarre behavior that day, at least
not until the empty bath salts package was discovered.

Bath salts are a type of new designer drug created by back-alley
chemists and marketed to young people. The drug is a stimulant in the
manner of methamphetamine, but also has the euphoric, hallucinogenic
effects of Ecstasy.

The drug can be smoked, snorted or injected. It has been known to
cause severe agitation, paranoia, chest pains, suicidal thoughts and
actions, and violence, and could lead to permanent brain damage.

The Oregon Pharmacy Board declared bath salts an illegal drug last
April.

The bath salts label is a marketing ploy to make the drug seem
harmless. Hammel said the drug is easy to obtain on the Internet and
that parents who find a package of it in their kids' bedroom might be
duped into thinking it's harmless.

Dr. James Hammel, a psychiatrist who graduated from Harvard Medical
School, has seen the devastating effects of bath salts in a number of
patients in recent years.

Hammel said he has treated a steady flow of bath salts users since he
arrived in the Rogue Valley last year. He said LaDue's condition was
common among bath salts patients.

"I didn't not treat (LaDue), but this is the classic description of
what happens when someone does bath salts," Hammel said. "You have the
elevated temperature ... the violence. This is what we are seeing
across the country."

A man admitted to Rogue Regional Medical Center who was believed to be
under the influence of bath salts barricaded himself in a third-floor
room and injured a police officer during an epic struggle earlier this
year.

Local police have said that bath salts users have abnormally high pain
tolerance, making Tasers ineffective. They also have shown higher than
average strength and overall bizarre behavior.

Hammel said he has seen the drug raise someone's body temperature to
107.5 degrees Fahrenheit, which is deadly.

"This drug is going to be a problem in our community for years to
come," Hammel said. "It's something we are going to struggle with."

LaDue Sr. is hoping an autopsy and a toxicology report scheduled on
his son will provide some answers.

Until then, the family has to face a new life without the young
man.

"We need to make sure no one else get a hold of this stuff," LaDue
said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt