RAVERS CONSUME A DANGEROUS MIX

LOWER MAINLAND - Police are starting to see a disturbing trend
emerging among young drug users at raves who are consuming a
potentially deadly combination of ecstasy and alcohol.

RCMP Sgt. Scott Rintoul, a drug awareness coordinator, says the trend
was first spotted this summer at a rave in Agassiz.

"We probably interacted with well over a 100 people who had taken
ecstasy and the majority had all been drinking as well; some were very
drunk and that's a trend you typically never saw before," Rintoul says.

Rintoul notes that even the website www.erowid.org, which bills itself
as a harm-reduction website, advises against mixing ecstasy with alcohol.

"A lot of the advocates say don't do that; it's dangerous, yet we are
now seeing a lot of people consuming alcohol and using ecstasy, which
is a really dangerous cocktail," he said.

Rintoul notes that alcohol depresses the heart rate, something that
places the user at even greater risk should he or she overdose.

"The consequences of that is real and disturbing," he said.