Brett's law

Brett Chidester was a depressed American teenager who took his own life on 23rd January 2006. His death has been controversially linked to his prior experimentation with the vision inducing herb Salvia divinorum.

His suicide led to Senator Karen Peterson sponsoring Senate Bill 259 (aka "Brett’s Law"), state legislation classifying Salvia divinorum as a Schedule I controlled substance in Delaware.

It is difficult to determine how much Salvia divinorum really contributed to his death. In any case, other US states, including Tennessee (HB2909/SB3247), Oklahoma (HB2485), Alaska (SB 313), and New Jersey (S1867)[1] are following suit with proposals for their own individual legislations.

Some details of the case:

• Brett Chidester died of carbon monoxide poisoning. It has been alleged that he was immediately under the influence of Salvia divinorum at the time of his death. Salvia was found on his person by police investigating the scene.
• Brett Chidester worked in an upscale retirement home that required monthly drug tests as condition of his employment. All drug tests, including one done claudestinely, were negative.
• Brett Chidester's drug test done after his death showed no signs of drugs. Salvia metabolizes within 15 mins. of use.
• Contrary to some news reports, Brett’s suicide note did not mention Salvia. Brett had written earlier essays about his Salvia experience. He said it showed him "our existence here on earth is pointless."
• Brett's parents believe he may have been suffering mild depression. However, a local psychologist who has analyzed his case has said he would not have been able to continue functioning (Honor roll, regular job, contact with friends and girlfriend) with depression severe enough to cause suicide.
• Brett also suffered from acne, for which he was taking minocycline. This is not Accutane and is not known to cause depression.
• He was smoking pot occasionally and this in now known to cause depression in teens.
• Brett had told his parents that he was no longer using Salvia divinorum (though they did not believe him).
• Brett came from a close knit family. His parents, tho divorced, still vacationed as a family before his death.
• Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death amongst 15-24 year olds in the US.
• The suicide rate for white males aged 15-24 has tripled since 1950 (source: National Center for Health Statistics, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)
• Over three months after Brett's suicide, with no evidence of any trace of salvinorin being found in Brett's system, Delaware’s deputy chief medical examiner, Dr. Adrienne Sekula-Perlman, altered Brett's death certificate and added Salvia divinorum use as a contributing cause of his death. http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060506/NEWS/605060321/-1/NEWS01]His suicide note, and others written before his death, indicate, as analyzed by medical experts, that his writings were drug related. Since his monthly drug tests were negative this led to the conclusion that Salvia Divinorum affected him so adversely that he ended his life.