PARENT WANTS RAVES BANNED

Someone must be accountable says mother of Allen Ho

The weekend that Allen Ho died after taking ecstasy at a Toronto rave, his
mother received a chilling phone call in San Francisco.

``Allen is in hospital. He was at a party. . . . He's in danger. You must
come home,'' a voice on the other end of the line told Mui Phuong, who was
visiting relatives.

Phuong had wanted him to come with her. But he was too busy at school, he
told her.

He had promised her he'd stay home for the weekend.

The 46-year-old single mother broke her silence yesterday for the first
time since an inquest began into the ecstasy-related death of her middle son.

Ho, a third-year Ryerson Polytechnic Institute computer student, was two
weeks short of his 21st birthday when he died after taking the drug ecstasy
at A View To A Thrill rave held in an underground parking garage on
Alliance Ave. Oct. 9.

As the inquest continued in coroner's court on Grosvenor St., Phuong
angrily told reporters at her Scarborough home that raves should be banned.

``You have to stop the raves,'' she said.

``This is very hard . . . I don't want to see other kids or parents go
through this.''

``He was a happy kid . . . never upset,'' Phuong said.

``Rave parties should be licensed,'' she added. ``It was so dirty, so hot
(at the rave). There should be inspectors . . . and security walking around.''

Her son was found collapsed on the dance floor.

``Maybe if they'd found him earlier, my son would not have died,'' she said.

``My son dies at a party and no one takes responsibility,'' said the
agonized woman. ``The police say they can't find the people who sold the
drugs. Lots of people take this drug and don't die. How come Allen dies?''

Phuong believes heat and lack of water contributed to his death.

Earlier yesterday, Dr. Margaret Thompson, an expert in emergency medicine
and clinical toxicology, told the inquest that Ho was probably sensitive to
ecstasy and this, not an overdose, is what likely caused his death.

Thompson estimated that he had ingested two to three ecstasy pills.

Just one tablet of ecstasy could have started Ho's ``downward spiral'' of
lowered blood pressure, racing heart rate, seizures and a high temperature,
breakdown of muscles and kidneys, and ultimately death, Thompson said. But
she also told the inquest that amounts of ecstasy in one pill can vary from
50 to 150 milligrams.

Ecstasy or MDMA (methylanedioxymethamphetamine) is an illegal
amphetamine-based drug that causes euphoric and mildly hallucinatory
effects. Ho had 0.13 milligrams of MDMA per 100 millilitres of blood when
he died, earlier testimony indicated.

``I hope he goes to Heaven and is happy,'' Ho's mother said.

She said she never dreams about her son. ``I can't sleep (so) I can't dream.''

A poster that reads ``Me . . . On Drugs,'' and a drug information guide
from the Addiction Research Foundation, still hangs above Ho's bed, with a
rave invitation called Wake and Bake from 1998 pinned to it.

``He was so young, so strong. How can he die?'' Phuong asked.

She said Ho was ``the smart one'' who worked hard at his computer studies
and helped out at her duplex, which she bought last year after separating
from her husband.

``He helped take care of the family. Sometimes he gave me $100, sometimes
$15,'' from money he'd saved from part-time jobs, Phuong said.