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. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman