POLICE WARN DRUG USERS TO BE CAREFUL

Ridge-Meadows RCMP issued an urgent warning to drug users yesterday after a
36- year-old woman and a man, 40, died in Maple Ridge on the weekend.

"We are cautioning drug users to be careful as the quality of drugs on the
street is unpredictable," Cpl. D.J. Walsh said.

The woman died in hospital after being taken to hospital from her home in
the 26300 block of 100 Ave.

In an unrelated incident police went to a home on Stephen St. after
occupants could not awake a man. The man was taken to hospital where he was
pronounced dead.

The fatalities are part of a 30-per-cent jump in drug overdose deaths in
B.C. this year -- 131 have died in the first 5 1/2 months of the year.

In 1988, 39 people died from overdoses while 412 died in 1998.

"We can't continue to allow people to die like this," said Ann Livingston,
of the Vancouver-based Harm Reduction Action Society. "These overdoses are
tragic and all are completely preventable."

The ban on drugs is the main cause of the drug deaths, the spread of
disease, as well as the cause of the high number of house and car breakins,
she said.

Livingston said heroin-maintenance and safe-injection sites are two
programs that could be instituted.