Source: Vancouver Sun Contact: Tue 23 Dec 1997 Section: B1 / Front Author: Stewart Bell DRUG VICTIMS WEREN'T HARDCORE JUNKIES The overdose deaths of two recreational drug users bare risks involved in narcotics. The overdose deaths of two friends during a Christmas party is a reminder that street drugs kill not just hardcore junkies, but also ordinary working people who only occasionally dabble in narcotics, the victims' friends and families said Monday. Although fatal overdoses are an everyday event in Vancouver's povertystricken Downtown Eastside, among the drug users who died last week were two men in their 20s and 30s who had jobs, families and futures. A third man who was with them is in critical condition, and has suffered brain damage. Chris Rigby was a 26yearold employee of Coast Wholesale Appliance in Vancouver. Johnnie Prizmic, 31, worked as a drywaller and played the drums in local bands. Mike Stokes, 25, a computer programmer, remains in hospital. He has a fiveyearold son. ``They were all successful young men. They just drew the wrong card,'' said Rigby's father, Barry. ``We still don't have all of the details but from what we can gather they basically thought that they bought cocaine and it wasn't.'' Vancouver police issued a warning Monday about the quality of local street drugs after the overdose deaths of seven people in a 24hour period beginning Thursday. There were also deaths Saturday and Monday, bringing the total body count since Thursday to nine. Donald Marion, 39, was found Thursday in a rooming house in the unit block of East Hastings. David Fulton, 39, overdosed in his apartment in the 1200block Harwood and died Friday at St. Paul's Hospital. Also on Friday, John Andor, 39, died in a rooming house in the 300block Princess, which police described as a wellknown flophouse. Curtis Grintals, 35, died Saturday in his apartment in the 1300block Harwood. Another man who died early Monday has not been named. The deaths have not yet been explained. Coroner Liana Wright has ordered a rush on toxicology tests to determine what mix of drugs the victims were using. Drugs such as cocaine and heroin sometimes increase in potency as rival gangs compete and try to get more people addicted. Wright said although most people think only hardcore addicts overdose, it's not uncommon for socalled recreational users for example, someone who uses drugs once a month to die, although it is unusual to see so many in such a short period. ``Generally speaking most people really don't realize how dangerous that game is, and hopefully with all the media coverage these deaths have received this weekend, it's helped drive the message home to at least some people.'' Rigby and Prizmic were celebrating the Christmas holidays with Stokes in his apartment at 800 East Eight Ave. when they apparently decided to buy drugs. Rigby and Prizmic injected the drug, while Stokes snorted it, said their close friend Ron Sander. Ray Prizmic said his brother, who he described as a ``gentle giant,'' was an occasional user. He said someone must have sold him drugs that were more potent than he was led to believe. ``In my mind these guys were murdered,'' he said. ``It's no different than buying a gun and it exploding in your face because it's a faulty product. It's my opinion that they were murdered.'' Sander also called the deaths ``murders. [The dealers] knew what the hell they were doing. and they should pay the penalty for murder. But it'll never happen. That's the sad part about this is how can these people be on the streets selling st that's killing people?'' Barry Rigby said his son was an avid sports fan who loved the Vancouver Canucks and the Grizzlies, and who worked hard at his job. ``He was salesman of the year for The Brick,'' he said. ``What I'm hoping is that some parent or some kid who's 26 years old reads the paper and thinks: `Hey, this can happen to me too because once every three weeks I might do something.' '' Funeral services for Prizmic and Rigby were to be held today. The families are requesting donations in their names to Canuck Place.