POPPY POWDER A CHEAP 'HIGH'

Fears Arise Over Possible Harm From 'Dode,' Which Is Sold Openly In
Brampton, Mississauga Meat Shops

Poppy powder, a derivative of highly addictive and illegal opium, is
openly sold in some meat shops in Brampton and Mississauga, raising
questions about its legality and potentially harmful effects for
those seeking an unconventional 'high.' Unlike opium, which oozes out
as a milky substance from a lacerated poppy bud, poppy powder is made
by grinding dried buds from the dried plants, sold in flower shops
for decorative purposes. It's a simple process, and in recent years
the powder has been increasingly popular in the burgeoning community
of Indian origin west of Toronto.

Usually gulped quickly with water and then followed by tea, the poppy
powder is sometimes used by truck drivers and factory workers because
it increases their ability to stay awake working long hours on the
job. But community leaders are worried some supplies contain potent
amounts of morphine and codeine, both derivatives of opium, or are
being mixed with other drugs, creating a potentially larger drug
problem, particularly for youths.

"Who knows what these people are adding in the poppy husk? No one can
stop them from adding any other drug," said Surjit Singh Jhabelwali,
a community activist in Brampton. Jhabelwali said he became well
aware of the addictive problems of poppy powder while working as a
lawyer in India.

Several local doctors said they are witnessing a troubling number of
mostly male patients coming in with serious addictive symptoms after
lengthy use of the powder, known in India as "dode." Symptoms include
mood swings, constipation, impotence, body aches and, if taken in
large quantities, breathing problems that can be fatal.

"The symptoms are the same as opium and, if you took what these guys
are taking, you will probably die," Dr. Steven Black, of Malton
Medical Group, said of those of mostly Indian origin who seek
treatment. Black, who works in the drug rehabilitation clinic, sees
new patients trickle in almost every day. "It's very difficult to get
off (dode)."

Part of the problem is how easy and cheap the powder is to buy, even
though it is illegal to produce, possess or sell opium and its
derivatives, except poppy seeds, without a licence from Health Canada
under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

At a local meat shop in Mississauga, there was no need to wink or
whisper to the man behind the counter. Just one word, dode, and his
hands disappeared under the counter and came up with a plastic bag of
almond-coloured powder - $10 for 10 grams, $20 for 20 grams.

Asked if it was any good, he replied: "I have been selling it for 16
years now, no worries." He later said he was under the impression it
was legal to sell.

Down the road at another meat shop the owner, a barrel-chested man
with gold chains around his neck, promised he could take customers to
highs his competition can only dream of.

"This is the genuine thing," he said, handing over a powder-filled
bag. "We used to get it from Afghanistan and Europe, earlier, but now
it comes from Arizona."The Star sent a sample of the powder purchased
to a commercial lab, which reported a "strong positive" for codeine
and morphine, enough drug to "get a person high." An equal amount of
crushed poppy seeds yielded a like dose of morphine, but less codeine.

Morphine found in a poppy pod depends on harvest time and the type of
seed, said Dr. Bick Dhaliwal, a Brampton medical researcher. An
overdose can be fatal.

Dr. Kuldip Kular, the MPP for Brampton-Gore-Malton-Springdale and a
physician, said community members have asked him several times to
push for a ban on dode.

Rajinder Saini, editor-in-chief of Parwasi Newspapers in Malton, said
he has discussed dode on his radio show several times, with callers
confessing to using dode because it makes them feel good and lets
them work long hours.

Philippe Laroche, a Health Canada spokesperson, said that unless
authorized, possession of opium or any of its derivatives - including
crushed poppy buds - has been prohibited for years. He said the
agency had no data on the health effects of eating powdered poppy.

Media relations Const. Wayne Paterson said Peel police did consult
Health Canada on the powder in an earlier probe but was told too
little opium was present to lay charges. But, "If we find out these
people are taking the poppy plant and adding a chemical substance to
it, then we will investigate. Crushed poppies alone is not opium."

"This is absolutely illegal," countered Dr. Peter Facchini, the
Canada research chair in plant biotechnology at the University of
Calgary. "All the police have to do now is to send the sample to a
lab and they will find enough morphine and codeine to make an arrest."

Facchini has studied opium poppy for more than 16 years. He said most
Canadians who grow opium poppies, which differ from oriental poppies,
don't know they are illegal.

*SIDEBAR*

DECORATION AND ADDICTION

1. Opium poppy, or Papaver somniferum L., is an annual herb native to
southeastern Europe and western Asia. It grows in many other
countries, notably Afghanistan, the largest opium producer.

2. Opium poppy contains codeine and morphine; the latter is among the
most addictive drugs known.

3. Morphine and codeine are effective painkillers and used by the
pharmaceutical industry for analgesics, hypnotics, and sedatives.

4. A more concentrated form of opium is heroin, highly addictive and
one of the most abused drugs.

5. Floral shops use dried poppy pods as decorative elements.

6. Canadian law bans unlicensed use of opium and its derivatives.