Pubdate: Sat, 22 Jul 2006
Source: Providence Journal, The (RI)
Copyright: 2006 The Providence Journal Company
Contact:  http://www.projo.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/352
Author: G. Wayne Miller
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

HEALTH DEPT. WARNS DRUG USERS AFTER 3 DEATHS

The State Issues An Unusual Public Warning

PROVIDENCE -- Three and possibly four people have died in the last 
three days from illegal-drug use -- and authorities suspect that the 
street-bought drugs were contaminated, the state Department of Health 
said yesterday.

The deaths prompted the department to issue an unusual advisory 
alerting the public to greater-than-normal risk in the use of illegal 
substances. A release received by The Journal and other media outlets 
shortly before 4 p.m. was labeled "high priority."

The Health Department did not provide names, ages, genders, 
locations, specific drugs involved, the possible contaminant, or 
other details of the overdoses. A spokeswoman said that an 
investigation led by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas P. Gilson and 
his staff was continuing.

"The overdoses were caused by narcotics such as heroin and other 
street drugs that were probably laced with an adulterant agent," the 
advisory stated.

In an interview, spokeswoman Maria Wah-Fitta said toxicology tests 
are being conducted to determine the specific drugs and specific 
contaminant. She did not expect further information to be released 
this weekend.

Gilson, she said, "wants to have complete information" before further 
comment. The department decided to issue the advisory now, she said, 
because of concern for the public's safety.

"We are erring on the side of caution."

The deaths drew the department's attention, Wah-Fitta said, because 
they happened so fast. "The individuals died a very, very sudden 
death," she said. "This is definitely something that's quite unusual."

Rapid death and the fact that several individuals -- a "cluster" -- 
were involved over such a short period led to suspicion of a foreign 
substance in the drugs.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the 
National Institutes of Health, most heroin sold on the street is not 
pure -- but is "cut" with substances including starch, sugar, 
powdered milk, or quinine. Quinine can be lethal. Heroin is also 
sometimes cut with strychnine or other deadly poisons, according to 
the the institute. Users cannot guarantee purity of the heroin, 
cocaine and other drugs they buy illicitly.

"This situation underscores why it is not ever safe to use illegal 
drugs, and this is a particular source of concern that we want to 
make the public aware of," Gilson said in the release. "Hopefully, 
this terrible situation will be a motivation for people who use 
illegal drugs to quit."

The Health Department urged drug users who want to quit to call the 
Rhode Island Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependence hotline 
at 1-866-252-3784. The line is answered around the clock.

Wah-Fitta said the department was not aware of recent 
contiminant-related deaths in other states.

With reports from projo.com writer Steve Peoples.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman