MORE TEENS TREATED FOR MORPHINE OVERDOSE

NIPAWIN, SASK. -- Same drug, same house, same hospital. Even one of the
same teenagers was involved Sunday as a group of young people overdosed on
morphine in a small northern Saskatchewan town.

Last week, 15 youngsters ended up in hospital after taking prescription
pills containing morphine in a private home. Another three made the same
trip on Sunday night, said RCMP Corporal Brian Jones.

Two were kept overnight in Nipawin. One was taken to Saskatoon for further
observation and treatment.

One of the teenagers, a girl, was among the group that overdosed last week.

"It's disheartening and it's disappointing," Cpl. Jones said.

"The obvious question is, 'Why?' They certainly had to be aware of the
possible consequences this time."

Cpl. Jones said the investigation has shown that the morphine is from the
same batch that caused last week's problem. RCMP officers had scoured the
house and thought they had removed all the pills and Cpl. Jones said police
want to know how they missed some.

"All the morphine that they found they took into safekeeping," he said.
"Our investigation centres on this new batch of morphine, where it went,
who had it, was it hidden from us, that type of thing."

Anyone who hid the pills or who passed them out was illegally in possession
of the drug.

"We're very, very interested in finding out who had the morphine and who
was distributing it. If the evidence supports the laying of criminal
charges, then that matter will be pursued."

The teenagers ingested morphine pills belonging to a resident of the rented
home, a cancer patient who was out of town for treatment. Overdoses become
fatal when respiration gets depressed to the point where the victim cannot
breathe and get enough oxygen.