Pubdate: Fri, 28 Jan 2000
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2000, The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Page: B3
Author: Bob Mitchell, Peel/Halton Bureau Chief

CORONER TO PROBE RAVE DEATH

Student Died After Taking Ecstasy At All-night Party

A coroner's inquest will be held to probe the death of a 21-year-old 
student who died after taking the drug Ecstasy at an all-night party in 
October.

Allan Ho collapsed on the dance floor at a rave attended by about 3,500 
people in an underground garage, and died 15 hours later in hospital. He 
had taken the hallucinogenic drug that police say has become the drug of 
choice at raves, selling for $20 to $30 a pill.

The inquest, announced yesterday and scheduled to be held in Toronto in 
late spring, also will examine broader concerns about raves, such as how 
the parties are advertised, licensing requirements, security measures and 
emergency resources.

Nine people died in Ontario last year after ingesting the 
euphoria-inducing, mind-altering chemical that some medical experts say can 
cause brain damage.

"We had nine deaths, the majority of whom are in the range of 20 to 30, 
that were associated with this drug in Ontario last year," said Dr. Bonita 
Porter, deputy chief coroner for inquests.

"But we had one death in 1998 and none in 1997 and it's this increase that 
has caused our alarm."

Porter said the inquest will examine the risks and dangers Ecstasy users 
face and the raves where it is being consumed.

"Although these parties are advertised as being alcohol-free, there is a 
concern they may not be safe and risk-free for those who attend," Porter said.

"I don't know how many people have been hospitalized, but I have received 
calls from hospitals the weekend after some of these parties and the 
numbers of people they've had to treat has really put a drain on their 
resources."

Friends described Ho as a fun-loving, third-year student at Ryerson 
Polytechnic University who loved go to raves and listen to the music of his 
favourite rapper, Tupac Shakur, according to a profile in the Ryersonian 
student newspaper.

A business information systems student, Ho came to Canada with his family 
from China when he was 2 years old. His family, which includes two 
brothers, live in Scarborough.

Police say organized crime is involved in the importation and distribution 
of Ecstasy.

There is little known about its long-term health effects. Although users 
believe the drug is harmless, it is believed to affect the central nervous 
system, increasing blood pressure and heart rate and giving users a sense 
of euphoria to the point that they feel nothing bad can happen to them.
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