COPS WARN VITAMIN K IN THE MIX

Dangerous Date-Rape Drug Growing In Popularity

A dangerous high is making in-roads into Ottawa's night club and rave scene
and that has police worried the date-rape drug could have fatal
consequences for inexperienced users.

Ketamine, often known as Special K or Vitamin K, has been around for
decades, but only recently has the Ottawa police drug squad seen an
increase in the number of users and supply in the capital's all-night party
scene.

"It's one of the new club drugs and we're starting to see more of it," said
drug section Staff Sgt. Marc Pinnault.

"We know it's becoming more popular."

Ketamine is an anesthetic that hospitals use on patients who need stitches
or other minor medical procedures. But it's also used as a tranquilizer by
veterinarians during operations on animals, particularly cats and monkeys.

A central nervous system depressant, it gives users a euphoric sensation
with the feeling they might be floating or having an out-of-body experience.

DANGEROUS MIX

Users will also likely become confused and disoriented and may lose track
of time or space.

It can be especially deadly when mixed with other drugs or alcohol.

"No one really knows how you are going to react to a chemical drug," said
Pinnault, adding police have found ketamine samples that had been mixed
with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine and PCP.

"You don't know the concentration, you don't know what it's been mixed
with," he adds.

Sold as a powder or liquid in small vials, a ketamine hit goes for anywhere
between $10 and $40.

Ottawa police youth intervention co-ordinator Louise Logue said a
particular danger is when "twinkies," or kids new to the drug scene, end up
with ketamine when they wanted to buy ecstasy.

"These are kids with no idea what they're about to buy," she said. "It's a
real mix of garbage."

Since the drug can be mixed into a drink and has such powerful anesthetic
properties, it can be also used to immobilize victims prior to a sex assault.

"It's used as a drug to facilitate rape," said Logue, adding it dulls the
senses as to what's happening to your body and can cause confusion.

Logue said there have been a few cases of ketamine overdoses in Ottawa,
although it's been hard for hospitals to keep track of because the drug is
hard to detect and still relatively new in the capital.

EASILY AVAILABLE

Any drugs showing up in the Ottawa rave scene are either stolen or imported
as a powder from overseas, said Pinnault.

During one major undercover drug operation last year, Pinnault said
officers discovered there was plenty of the powder available.

"During Project Dracula, we were being offered whatever amounts we needed,"
said Pinnault.