David T. Borman, formerly of 1000 Smith Level Road, Apt. K8, in Carrboro was found dead in a friend's apartment April 24. The tests revealed the presence of oxycodone, the generic name for the painkiller OxyContin, in Borman's blood, the paper reported.
Borman, a former UNC student majoring in communications and nephew of Duke University men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, was the second victim of an oxycodone-related death in the last nine months in Orange County.
The first victim, Daniel Walker, a former UNC journalism major, died Sept. 7 in his home at 92 Pine Hill Drive in Carrboro after overdosing on what was determined to be a mixture of oxycodone, cocaine and alcohol.
Police ruled out the possibility of suicide and foul play early in the investigation. No details of the investigation have been released.
Dr. Tom Owens, assistant N.C. medical examiner, did not return calls by press time.
According to information released by the company that makes OxyContin, Purdue Pharma L.P., the drug contains opiates and is a pain reliever for patients who suffer from severe body pains. The drug, which requires a doctor's prescription, is intended to be ingested orally and unaltered from its tablet form.
When used as a recreational drug, the tablets are often crushed or powdered and then inhaled or eaten. According to the drug's Web site, when tablets are broken, it causes the active ingredient, oxycodone, to be released in a much faster fashion than is intended for medical purposes, increasing the risk of overdose and death. The drug has been blamed for more than 120 deaths nationwide.
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