BASEMENT LABS PRODUCE POTENTIALLY DEADLY MIXES

As indicated by the deaths of two youths in Vancouver from taking bad hits
of ecstasy, the dangers inherent in experimenting with "club drugs" are
greater than many youth realize.

Victoria police Insp. John Ducker, in charge of the department's targeted
policing division, says because the drugs are often made in an
"uncontrolled, home-grown type of environment," their effects can be very
unpredictable and the potential for harm great, especially since every
individual responds differently to them.

"If the recipe calls for a certain ingredient and they don't have it they
might substitute something else. That's where the danger lies," he says.
Local police saw a need to further publicize the dangers of club drugs - so
called because they are the current hallucinogens of choice for young
club-hoppers and rave patrons - after they found a 21-year-old Vancouver
woman semi-conscious at 4:30 a.m. Nov. 1 in front of the Sugar nightclub on
Yates Street in Victoria.

The woman had apparently overdosed from taking a combination of ecstasy and
GHB (gamma-hydroxybutanioc) and was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

"We know the drug did originate here," Ducker says. "Even though the young
lady was from the Vancouver area, the drugs were purchased locally."

Information released this week by the coroner's office in Vancouver
confirmed that two youths who attended a rave on the Lower Mainland died
from ingesting a "bad batch" of ecstasy.

What is most troubling about the whole scenario, Ducker adds, is the fact
young people continue to use the drugs, despite the known dangers.

"I think there is some increased concern about the ongoing propensity for
young people to keep using (club drugs) even though they have all the
information and know how bad (they are)."

Given the coroner's findings in Vancouver, Victoria police are stepping up
their efforts to clamp down on the local production and distribution of
ecstasy and GHB.

An ongoing investigation resulted in a major bust at an apartment in the
2300-block of Wark Street on Oct. 17. About 10 litres of GHB and 29 grams
of crystal methamphetamine (speed) were seized and two people arrested.

But the spread of these drugs isn't restricted to Victoria and Vancouver.
Last week, Nanaimo RCMP arrested six people and seized more than two dozen
ecstasy pills along with 700 grams of marijuana, as part of an
investigation into an ecstasy trafficking ring.

Ducker says given the recent tragedies and the increased activity in the
manufacture of club drugs, Victoria police would be "remiss" if they didn't
become even more vigilant in their investigations.

For some time, police and parents alike have voiced concerns about young
people using drugs such as ecstasy and GHB at raves.

Asked if the security rules for raves in Victoria need to be looked at
following the Vancouver deaths - the young woman who overdosed in Victoria
hadn't been attending a rave - Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe says the city can't
take responsibility for everyone attending such events.

"When people start taking drugs or drinking alcohol they take their own
life in their hands," he says. "We can't babysit everyone who is involved
in this type of (activity). When we know about functions, we try to make
sure they're as safe as possible."

Any raves held in municipal buildings have a strict set of guidelines. Lowe
says not only do Victoria police ensure a minimum number of officers are in
attendance, the event promoter must provide security guards and St. John
Ambulance or other first aid personnel. Concert goers also have no in-out
privileges.