mysql_escape_string removed in PHP 5.6

{"is_error":1,"is_continue":0,"exception":"Error 1: Call to undefined function mysql_escape_string() in \/home\/rkscrm\/crmv1.rochesterkinksociety.com\/sites\/all\/modules\/civicrm\/CRM\/Core\/I18n.php, line 325","last_task_title":"Upgrade DB to 4.5.alpha1: SQL"}

Call to undefined mysql_escape_string because mysql extension is not compiled in this version of PHP. I use mysqli instead which CiviCRM and Drupal both support. However in the script above (CRM/Core/I18n) there is a hardcoded call to mysql_escape_string which would fail for mysqli, Postgres or other backends.