WILMINGTON, Del. -- Brett Chidester was a straight "A" student at a competitive Wilmington High school. He had a lot of friends. He was a world traveler.

So, why would Chidester kill himself? His mother, Kathy Chidester, still doesn't know.

"I just kept saying, 'Why, why, why,'" Chidester said.

Brett was using a prescription acne medication that has been linked to depression. But he was also using Salvia Divinorum, a leafy hallucinogenic cousin to sage. When Chidester first found the drugs, she confronted Brett.

"He said, 'Well, Mom, it's legal. You can get it anywhere,'" Chidester said.

Salvia is readily available. It is legal and cheap. Brett ordered it online.

People in the mountains of southern Mexico have been using Salvia for more than 1,000 years. Now it has become popular with high school and college kids. A search on MySpace.com turns up hundreds of references to it.

After Brett's suicide, his mother found things he wrote about his experiences with the drug.

"He said he went to a different realm. He learned the secrets of life," Chidester said.

"I just don't think we want that legal in Delaware," said State Sen. Karen Peterson.

Peterson is trying to outlaw Salvia Divinorum in Delaware. If she is successful, Delaware would be the third state to outlaw the drug. Louisiana and Missouri already have Salvia laws on their books. Peterson fears Salvia users could end up hurting themselves or others.

"I, for one, don't want to be driving down Route 1 next to someone who is having an out-of-body experience," Peterson said. Chidester doesn't just blame Salvia for Brett's suicide, but she said it certainly did not help.

"I just think, with all the things he had going on, and to add Salvia to that mix, it was a lethal combination," Chidester said.

Related Resource:

DEA FAQ On Salvia