EXPERTS WARN - ALUMINUM, HEROIN A DEVASTATING MIX

An RCMP toxicologist has a chilling warning for those who "chase the dragon."

"Don't smoke heroin, period, but if you do, don't smoke it off aluminum,"
said Wayne Jeffrey. "There seems to be an interaction between some of the
things heroin is cut with and the aluminum foil that causes a toxic reaction."

Three people have died and at least seven more have suffered serious brain
damage after smoking heroin recently in the Lower Mainland. The cluster is
the largest ever in North America.

"We haven't confirmed exactly what's going on," said Derek Daws, managing
director of the B.C. Drug and Poison Information Centre. "It's unusual
there is such a cluster that has occurred in this area in such a short time."

Those who are affected develop slurred speech and a wobbly walk. Later,
they develop an inability to speak and paralysis. Doctors say the signs can
take weeks to develop.

Many of those who survived are too damaged to describe what happened, but
Daws said it seems they all smoked heroin from aluminum foil and may have
filtered the smoke through steel wool.

Tests are under way to look for contaminates in the body.

Vancouver Regional Coroner Jeanine Robinson said her office has confirmed
that one user died after smoking heroin from aluminum foil.

"We have one that we can pretty well say was the result of holding tin foil
over a flame," she said. The other deaths have not been definitely linked
to aluminum.

Four cases were reported in Vancouver this time last year. During the past
20 years cases have appeared in Amsterdam, the U.S., Taiwan, China and
other parts of Canada.

In a note warning of the dangers, Dr. Diane Rothon, director of health
services for the Corrections Branch, said irreversible brain damage in
patients has been "identified in the drug-using population in correctional
centres, the Drug Treatment Court and in methadone maintenance treatment
clinics."