Pubdate: Sat, 04 Feb 2012
Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2012 The Calgary Sun
Contact: http://www.calgarysun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://www.calgarysun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67
Author: Nadia Moharib, Calgary Sun

CLOSE CALLS BEHIND HEADLINES

Up to 25 Hospitalized by Deadly Ecstasy

While some die dropping E, many have close calls.

"Although the fatalities are tragic, the number of those who were
hospitalized and survived is at least two to three times higher than
those who died," says Dr. Mark Yarema, the Poison and Drug Information
Service medical director and an ER physician.

Since mid-December there have been between 20 and 25 patients who have
been hospitalized and tested positive for ingesting PMMA, Yarema says.

Many survive overdoses but not before climbing out of critical
condition. One survivor, for instance, was taken to Edmonton for a
liver transplant that was ultimately not needed.

Calgary drug staff Sgt. Mike Bossley says deaths make the news but
important lessons can be gleaned from those who live to learn from
them.

"Some people are on life support for a significant period of time,' he
says.

"This is not like sweating a little and cooling down. It is an
aggravating, miserable experience. In some cases they could have major
brain damage, even if they do survive, and end up with severe injuries."

'JUST IN TIME'

Ecstasy, the drug reference, wasn't in his lexicon when Dr. Kelly
Kaita met the patient clinging to life because of it.

Sampling it for the first time at a New Year's party in 1999 pitched
19-year-old Kory Kirouac into a fight for his life.

"For me, the big shocking thing was the fact that one or two pills
could do this to an individual who had no knowledge of the drug they
were taking," the University of Manitoba liver specialist recalls.

Weeks later, Kirouac went from seeing his skin turn yellow to
deteriorating into critical condition.

"The drug basically damaged more than 80% of his liver," Kaita
says.

Flown to Ontario, Kirouac jumped to the top of the transplant cue -- at
any given time about 400 Canadians are waiting for a liver and do so
for two to four years. He received a new one just in time.

"If he hadn't received the organ within days, he definitely would have
 died," Kaita says, adding Kirouac is doing well but at lifelong risk
of complications, including infections and cancer.

"The vast majority take it and get away with it," he says, baffled so
many in Western Canada continue to dabble with E despite all the warnings.

"But these drugs are very dangerous."

Applauding officials with spreading that message -- as ecstasy clearly
continues to circulate on the streets -- Kaita praises Kirouac for his
willingness to share his story.

"He has talked to hundreds of kids in schools, wherever anyone would
listen to him," he says.

"If someone wanted a real-life scenario, he was the guy -- he didn't
want any other kid to go through what he did. I've always admired Kory
for that." 
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