Pubdate: Thu, 07 Jun 2012
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Ian Austin
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)

TRAGIC TEEN DRUG TALES DRAW TEARS

Abbotsford police hope two tragic tales of teen overdose deaths will 
keep kids away from killer ecstasy.

More than 7,000 students are hearing the tear-jerking story 
first-hand from the mothers of 20-year-old victim Tyler Miller and 
17-year-old victim Cheryl McCormack.

"We had kids breaking down. We had cops breaking down. We had friends 
and family breaking down," Const. Ian MacDonald told The Province of 
Wednesday's emotional session at the Abbotsford School for the Integrated Arts.

"An hour after we had finished, we still had people lined up to hug 
their family and friends."

Tyler died at a November 2011 Langley house party, and Cheryl died in 
December 2011 when she and three girlfriends took excessive amounts 
of ecstasy, thinking that would help them lose weight.

The three friends who were with Cheryl that fateful night spoke to 
their peers at the school Wednesday, able to show first-hand how easy 
the road to ecstasy death can be.

MacDonald saluted those near and dear to Tyler and Cheryl who have so 
bravely offered to tell their tale in the hope that lives will be saved.

"They are courageous," said MacDonald. "We have the co-operation of 
these very courageous families."

A wave of ecstasy deaths in B.C. and Alberta has eased lately, but 
MacDonald said the risk is still very real.

In a way, he said, the deaths of Tyler and Cheryl have already saved 
the life of a Abbotsford youngster.

"We had a man in his 20s, who took ecstasy, and he knew about the 
deaths," said MacDonald. "He panicked, and asked his parents to take 
him to the hospital.

"He was in a coma for four days. By some miracle, he survived."

A 27-minute documentary interviewing the families about their grief 
following the deaths was shown to a teary-eyed crowd Wednesday. Once 
the film has done the rounds and been seen by the 7,000 students in 
Abbotsford, it will be released to the public.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom