DRUG VICTIMS WEREN'T HARDCORE JUNKIES

The overdose deaths of two recreational drug users bare risks involved in
narcotics.

The overdose deaths of two friends during a Christmas party is a reminder
that street drugs kill not just hardcore junkies, but also ordinary
working people who only occasionally dabble in narcotics, the victims'
friends and families said Monday.

Although fatal overdoses are an everyday event in Vancouver's
povertystricken Downtown Eastside, among the drug users who died last week
were two men in their 20s and 30s who had jobs, families and futures. A
third man who was with them is in critical condition, and has suffered
brain damage.

Chris Rigby was a 26yearold employee of Coast Wholesale Appliance in
Vancouver. Johnnie Prizmic, 31, worked as a drywaller and played the drums
in local bands. Mike Stokes, 25, a computer programmer, remains in
hospital. He has a fiveyearold son.

``They were all successful young men. They just drew the wrong card,'' said
Rigby's father, Barry. ``We still don't have all of the details but from
what we can gather they basically thought that they bought cocaine and it
wasn't.''

Vancouver police issued a warning Monday about the quality of local street
drugs after the overdose deaths of seven people in a 24hour period
beginning Thursday. There were also deaths Saturday and Monday, bringing
the total body count since Thursday to nine.

Donald Marion, 39, was found Thursday in a rooming house in the unit block
of East Hastings. David Fulton, 39, overdosed in his apartment in the
1200block Harwood and died Friday at St. Paul's Hospital.

Also on Friday, John Andor, 39, died in a rooming house in the 300block
Princess, which police described as a wellknown flophouse. Curtis
Grintals, 35, died Saturday in his apartment in the 1300block Harwood.
Another man who died early Monday has not been named.

The deaths have not yet been explained. Coroner Liana Wright has ordered a
rush on toxicology tests to determine what mix of drugs the victims were
using. Drugs such as cocaine and heroin sometimes increase in potency as
rival gangs compete and try to get more people addicted.

Wright said although most people think only hardcore addicts overdose,
it's not uncommon for socalled recreational users for example, someone
who uses drugs once a month to die, although it is unusual to see so
many in such a short period.

``Generally speaking most people really don't realize how dangerous that
game is, and hopefully with all the media coverage these deaths have
received this weekend, it's helped drive the message home to at least some
people.''

Rigby and Prizmic were celebrating the Christmas holidays with Stokes in
his apartment at 800 East Eight Ave. when they apparently decided to buy
drugs. Rigby and Prizmic injected the drug, while Stokes snorted it, said
their close friend Ron Sander.

Ray Prizmic said his brother, who he described as a ``gentle giant,'' was
an occasional user. He said someone must have sold him drugs that were more
potent than he was led to believe.

``In my mind these guys were murdered,'' he said. ``It's no different than
buying a gun and it exploding in your face because it's a faulty product.
It's my opinion that they were murdered.''

Sander also called the deaths ``murders. [The dealers] knew what the hell
they were doing. and they should pay the penalty for murder. But it'll
never happen. That's the sad part about this is how can these people be on
the streets selling st that's killing people?''

Barry Rigby said his son was an avid sports fan who loved the Vancouver
Canucks and the Grizzlies, and who worked hard at his job. ``He was
salesman of the year for The Brick,'' he said.

``What I'm hoping is that some parent or some kid who's 26 years old reads
the paper and thinks: `Hey, this can happen to me too because once every
three weeks I might do something.' ''

Funeral services for Prizmic and Rigby were to be held today. The families
are requesting donations in their names to Canuck Place.