A more toxic version of ecstasy could be on the streets of Lethbridge
This version of ecstasy, with the chemical paramethoxy-methamphetamine (PMMA) mixed in, has been linked to five deaths in Calgary since November, and another five in British Columbia since last year. Police are also investigating deaths in Nanton and Calgary that occurred this past weekend.
Traditional ecstasy (MDMA) has been around since the 1920s, but gained popularity as a street drug starting in the 1980s among nightclub patrons.
The drug has long been associated with rave culture in North America and Europe.
Sgt. Jason Moulton, an officer with the special operations unit of the Lethbridge Regional Police, says that it is possible the toxic ecstasy could be in the city.
“If it is prevalent in Calgary, it could find its way down to Lethbridge,” he says.
However, Const. Ryan Darroch, also with the special operations unit, says that lab experiments on recent seizures of ecstasy showed no signs of PMMA.
One of the main dangers of ecstasy is that users do not know what they are getting in their drug.
“Makers will use any substance when making the drug, and it could kill you,” says Darroch.
One of the reasons that make PMMA more dangerous in comparison to traditional ecstasy is that the effects of the drug are not as instant as MDMA, leading users to take more of the drug to achieve a high.
Moulton and Darroch both say regular ecstasy use could be going down in usage.
According to Darroch, a lot of ecstasy is made in B.C., and there are laws in the province regulating the sale of items that are used to make the drug. This is one of the reasons the use of the drug been reduced.
The use of ecstasy creates a heightened sense of euphoria and a lack of anxiety that’s noticeable among users.
The biggest danger with using the drug is hyperthermia, or dangerously elevated body temperatures, usually caused by extended dancing, which can lead to organ failure and death.
“The body can literally cook itself to death,” Darroch says.
For more information about ecstasy visit http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/padis