YOUNG PARTIERS OVERDOSE AT POPKUM RAVE

The party went south for three young adults at a rave earlier this month in
Popkum after they overdosed on unknown substances. One victim, a 24-year-old
Vancouver woman, had to be resuscitated by paramedics after she lost
consciousness.

According to police, all three victims were treated at the scene, then
transferred to Chilliwack hospital for observation and released. They were
all aged in their twenties.

The other two overdose patients were males also from the Vancouver area. The
rave, held on August 3 at the Popkum Reserve, drew about 5,000 people to the
site.

It was the reserve's third rave of the year and, according to its Vancouver
organizers, it will be the last one of 2002.

Agassiz police, Chilliwack undercover police and on-site security made
several drug and some alcohol seizures throughout the evening.

The confiscated drugs included Ecstasy, a popular psychoactive
stimulant-hallucinogenic that has become synonymous with rave-type
gatherings.

Two men arrested onsite are facing charges of possession of Ecstasy for the
purpose of trafficking.

Ecstasy - also called XTC or Adam - has both amphetamine and LSD-like
properties and contains a chemical structure similar to other drugs known to
cause bran damage.

Usage can cause an increase in body temperature, leading to muscle
breakdown, and kidney and cardiovascular system failure.

Agassiz RCMP Sgt. Emil Spitkoski said police were given a month's notice
about the rave, but the event's turnout was higher than expected.

Six officers, including three called in specifically for the evening,
monitored the outdoor bash from 6p.m. until the rave started breaking up at
about 8 a.m. the following morning.

In addition to drug seizures, police also dealt with partygoers drinking in
their cars and littering on the highway.

`It's difficult to patrol,' he said. `You just try to control it as best you
can.'

Costs incurred for the extra officers will not be passed on to event
organizers this year, he added.

The additional manpower cost an estimated $1500.