COP LINKS DRUGS, HIV-AIDS

An RCMP drug awareness officer believes there's a link between use of
designer drugs such as ecstasy and the sharp increase in the number of gay
men who've contracted HIV-AIDS through unprotected sex in the past two years.

Cpl. Scott Rintoul said the increase-from 95 new cases in 1999 to 129 last
year-isn't surprising, considering designer drugs hamper the ability to
make decisions. "When your judgment is impaired, your defence mechanisms
are lowered and you're open for huge problems," said Rintoul, who travels
the Lower Mainland investigating new trends in drug use.

"You have to wonder why people are contracting some very serious diseases
at the same time all these drugs are out there."

The underground drug market is flooded with designer drugs, from ecstasy
and methamphetamine to gamma hydroxy butyrate and ketamine (an anesthetic
used by veterinarians in surgeries).

Not only are more of the drugs turning up on the street, in nightclubs and
at raves, police say manufacturers are mixing them together to make one
potent and potentially dangerous chemical mixture. Often called "trail mix"
and usually taken in pill or capsule form, the concoction is sometimes
laced with Viagra, a stimulant for men with erectile difficulties.

"Meth is pure speed, ketamine is an anesthetic, which sort of brings the
body down somewhat and then you've got ecstasy, which sort of lessens your
inhibitions and gives you all these great feelings, all acting in the body
at once," Rintoul said, noting two young people overdosed on designer drugs
at a rave in Richmond Saturday night.

Rick Barnes, spokesman for AIDS Vancouver, says a link between the increase
in HIV-AIDS cases among gay men and designer drugs is difficult to prove,
but plausible.

"We do know that people-when they're under the influence of any kind of
drug or alcohol-tend to be more careless or less aware of some of their
decisions or feel freer to make decisions they wouldn't if their mind
wasn't affected by drugs they're using," said Barnes.

The only thing preventing AIDS Vancouver from learning more about the
possible connection is lack of money, said Barnes, who believes the
safe-sex campaigns of past years aren't as effective today.

"What is going to work? We're not absolutely sure, but for us to get a
decent handle on that, we need money for research and we need money to then
take the findings of that research to another level, to put in some
sustained prevention messaging."

In February, AIDS Vancouver launched a $400,000 multi-media campaign, aimed
mainly at the gay community, on the dangers of unprotected sex. About
$300,000 for the campaign, complete with television and billboard
advertisements, came from two local companies, with the rest contributed by
the Vancouver Aids Memorial Society and provincial government.

The commercial, called "Cocktail or Condom?", played on Pride Vision and
appeared as a public service announcement on some local TV stations, but is
now only available on AIDS Vancouver's web site because the organization
can't afford to buy television time, Barnes said.