METHADONE THEFT RAISES SPECTRE OF SPATE OF FATAL OVERDOSES

VANCOUVER - Police fear the theft of a massive amount of methadone
from a Downtown Eastside pharmacy overnight Monday could lead to a
spate of drug overdose deaths similar to those that occurred last
year when methadone was stolen from another pharmacy.

"Last year, we had about a dozen overdose deaths which we believe
were caused by stolen methadone," Vancouver police spokesman Const.
Howard Chow said Tuesday.

He said police were using extraordinary efforts to inform Vancouver's
addict population against using the stolen methadone, as well as
alerting all the emergency and social agencies and volunteer groups
that work with addicts in the Downtown Eastside about what has happened.

"The amount of methadone that's been stolen is staggering," said Chow.

"Our beat officers have been out informing any of the addicts that
will listen about the danger of using this methadone," he said.

Methadone is a synthetic narcotic that is administered to heroin
users to wean them off that drug, but it also has addictive
qualities. It is administered orally.

Chow said the drug has to be diluted by a pharmacist in order for it
to be safely consumed "but the dealers on the street aren't
pharmacists, which is why it's such a dangerous situation," he said.

Police wouldn't name the pharmacy or give any details on the burglary
- -- except to say it was unique -- but said the theft occurred
sometime overnight Monday and wasn't discovered until staff arrived
for work Tuesday morning.

Stolen were three 100-gram bottles of powdered methadone that when
mixed would make the equivalent of 75, four-litre bottles of
methadone -- about 300,000 millilitres of the drug.

The average addict uses about 250 millilitres a day, said Chow.

Also stolen were nine bottles of liquid, concentrated methadone and
340 litres of methadone ready for dispensing.

"We're really worried about what's going to happen when this deadly
drug hits the streets," said Chow.

"The quantities are staggering and the potential for drug addicts
dying from methadone overdoses is great, which is why we are
appealing to them not to use it," he said.