POLICE WARN OF POTENTIALLY LETHAL DRUGS

A pair of apparent overdoses have police in Vernon issuing a warning
over a potentially lethal batch of cocaine in the city.

Vernon RCMP were called out to a pair of sudden deaths - a 38-year-old
man shortly after midnight Saturday at a Vernon motel and a
23-year-old woman shortly before noon Sunday at a south Vernon home -
both apparently caused by a cocaine overdose.

Police and the coroner's office have sent blood samples from the
deceased to the laboratory for analysis and are awaiting results,
expected to be several weeks.

"Police are issuing a warning to users of illegal, recreational drugs
- - specifically cocaine - to exercise extreme caution," said Cpl. Henry
Proce with the Vernon RCMP.

"Although not yet confirmed, it remains a distinct possibility the
cocaine being used in the Vernon area is laced with a potentially
lethal chemical. Likewise, the drug may be of such uncommon purity as
to cause death."

He said the deaths from the suspected overdoses have not occurred
immediately after the victim ingested the cocaine.

"They do the coke, they fall asleep, and they just don't wake up,"
said Proce.

Traces of cocaine have been found in the blood of a third sudden death
victim, but police are attributing that death to a pre-existing heart
condition.

Carolyn, a Vernon street nurse, said there are a number of signs and
symptoms of a possible overdose. Those include an increased
temperature, delirium, rapid irregular heart rate, shallow
respiration, convulsions and unconsciousness.

"If someone suspects they or someone else is overdosing, they should
get help immediately," she said.