HEALTH DEPT. WARNS DRUG USERS AFTER 3 DEATHS

The State Issues An Unusual Public Warning

PROVIDENCE -- Three and possibly four people have died in the last
three days from illegal-drug use -- and authorities suspect that the
street-bought drugs were contaminated, the state Department of Health
said yesterday.

The deaths prompted the department to issue an unusual advisory
alerting the public to greater-than-normal risk in the use of illegal
substances. A release received by The Journal and other media outlets
shortly before 4 p.m. was labeled "high priority."

The Health Department did not provide names, ages, genders,
locations, specific drugs involved, the possible contaminant, or
other details of the overdoses. A spokeswoman said that an
investigation led by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas P. Gilson and
his staff was continuing.

"The overdoses were caused by narcotics such as heroin and other
street drugs that were probably laced with an adulterant agent," the
advisory stated.

In an interview, spokeswoman Maria Wah-Fitta said toxicology tests
are being conducted to determine the specific drugs and specific
contaminant. She did not expect further information to be released
this weekend.

Gilson, she said, "wants to have complete information" before further
comment. The department decided to issue the advisory now, she said,
because of concern for the public's safety.

"We are erring on the side of caution."

The deaths drew the department's attention, Wah-Fitta said, because
they happened so fast. "The individuals died a very, very sudden
death," she said. "This is definitely something that's quite unusual."

Rapid death and the fact that several individuals -- a "cluster" --
were involved over such a short period led to suspicion of a foreign
substance in the drugs.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the
National Institutes of Health, most heroin sold on the street is not
pure -- but is "cut" with substances including starch, sugar,
powdered milk, or quinine. Quinine can be lethal. Heroin is also
sometimes cut with strychnine or other deadly poisons, according to
the the institute. Users cannot guarantee purity of the heroin,
cocaine and other drugs they buy illicitly.

"This situation underscores why it is not ever safe to use illegal
drugs, and this is a particular source of concern that we want to
make the public aware of," Gilson said in the release. "Hopefully,
this terrible situation will be a motivation for people who use
illegal drugs to quit."

The Health Department urged drug users who want to quit to call the
Rhode Island Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependence hotline
at 1-866-252-3784. The line is answered around the clock.

Wah-Fitta said the department was not aware of recent
contiminant-related deaths in other states.

With reports from projo.com writer Steve Peoples.