Pubdate: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 Source: Medicine Hat News (CN AB) Copyright: 2012 Alberta Newspaper Group, Inc. Contact: http://www.medicinehatnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1833 Author: Peggy Revel Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy) KILLER ECSTACY NOT IN HAT YET Medicine Hat hasn't seen any cases of the tainted ecstasy linked to 13 deaths in Western Canada -- but that doesn't mean the drug isn't on its way here. "We haven't seen anything of that nature here yet," said S/Sgt. David Brandrith of the Medicine Hat Police's organized crime unit regarding the killer drug that police from other regions have linked to eight deaths in southern Alberta and five in B.C. It is believed all the victims thought they were taking ecstasy but it also contained high levels of the toxic paramethoxymethamphetamine (PMMA), nicknamed "Dr. Death." There is "no doubt" there is ecstasy within the City of Medicine Hat, said Sgt. Brandrith, but none of what the police have seen so far has been the kind tainted with PMMA. But that doesn't mean the police aren't worried the tainted drug will appear locally. "We're right on the Trans-Canada Highway, a lot of the drugs that make its way to Medicine Hat are sometimes from Calgary and some of the bigger centres," said Staff Sgt. Brandrith about the drug showing up in Medicine Hat. "So definitely it's a big worry." Barbra Madonko with the Medicine Hat Cares Centre, which provides advocacy and services for people with HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, said that worries over the tainted drugs means that they have been talking with their clients about the risks, and trying to get the word out. "We just want to apply harm reduction in place, so that people are aware, that's how we're focusing on it," said Madonko, who said they will also be putting up posters in other locations -- such as Medicine Hat College -- to help spread awareness about the risks. The deaths have spurred Alberta Health Services officials and police in Calgary to expand education campaigns aimed youth about the risks of taking drugs like ecstasy. Staff Sgt. Brandrith noted that locally, ecstasy is already a part about of the education component that the police's Community Safety Unit has in schools now. The deaths and incidents have been brought up when speaking with the youth about ecstasy, he said, and the unit is looking at an expansion to the program. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom