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Police investigation reveals male suffered an overdose of ecstasy outside Nelson club

by Nelson Daily staff on 30 Jan 2012
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Police investigation reveals male suffered an overdose of ecstasy outside Nelson club

The deadly drug ecstasy (MDMA) has been blamed to have caused the overdose of a 21-year-old male at midnight Friday outside the Hume Hotel’s Spirit Bar in Nelson.

Nelson Police received a call regarding a medical issue at midnight on January 27th at the Spirit Bar.

When police arrived the male was found unconscious directly outside the bar being tended to by friends.

B.C Ambulance was called and the male was transported to Kootenay Lake Hospital.

The police investigation revealed that the male had suffered an overdose of ecstasy (MDMA, an acronym for its chemical name 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine).

Nelson Police report overdose was not fatal but the condition of the male remains unknown.

The public should be reminded of the numerous serious cases of ecstasy overdoses that have occurred in B.C. and Alberta.

During the weekend two suspected deaths were reported in Calgary and Nanton, Alta.

At least five people have died in B.C., where a coroner confirmed the toxic chemical was present.

Ecstasy or MDMA is a synthetic, psychoactive (mind-altering) drug with hallucinogenic and amphetamine-like properties and is popular at clubs and raves.

Its chemical structure is similar to two other synthetic drugs, MDA and methamphetamine, which are known to cause brain damage.

For more information on Ecstasy or MDMA go to the Health Canada website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/drugs-drogues/learn-renseigne/ecstasy-eng.php

Comments

MDMA - apparently the friendly drug

by Hmmmm on 31 Jan 2012 at about 22:45.

So the healthcare professional here is stating that MDMA is "Typically...not a deadly drug." Well done.....and these are the ones that are directing our health decisions for us! No wonder we are doomed.

We are all a little nervous about the deaths that are occuring for those taking pills that are being sold as ecstasy, after all there has been three related deaths in the last couple weeks (oh yes, eight more in Alberta, but whose counting)

According to a real professional who sees the carnage left by the drug use, there have actually been 18 ecstasy related deaths in BC alone since August of last year - the latest one being this 16 year old boy in the article below.  And surprising, only five of these are related to PPMA.  So 13 that are not related to PPMA. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/01/16/bc-ecstasy-death-langley-boy.html

Even if  MDMA is "Typically not a deadly drug" the problem is that very few of the pills being sold by dealers actually contain MDMA.  They contain any assortment of drugs - our person from Ankors should be able to comment on that.  

If one of our doctors is telling patients who are coming into our emergency wards, its okay to take E right now as long as you don't drink, we may want to educate that doctor that we have a really bad batch of E going around and maybe we might want to discourage taking any E, at least for now.

So health care professional, thanks for your input, but I think I will be discouraging my friends from taking any E...whether they are drinking or not.  People are dying - needlessly.

you missed the point

by dizzyG on 31 Jan 2012 at about 23:32.

Hmmm- did you deliberately miss the point? The healthcare professional who wrote that letter was saying that in this case, the kid had passed out due to drinking while on ecstasy, which is what the doctor had decided after examining him in emerg. Clearly his particular case is nothing like the other stories we are seeing in the news. 

It seems obvious to me that this person wrote the article with the intent on setting the story straight- this article was written in a sensational manner in light of all the stories coming out about kids dying of overdoses. And he or she hits the nail on the head- until we figure out which chemicals to focus on and get that information to the public instead of spreading misinformation and buying into the pandemonium, more deaths will occur. 

Another couple of things- Nurses and doctors (who are 'real' professionals, FYI) work hard to try and keep us healthy.  If you are doomed, that's not because of them. Take some responsibility for yourself. Furthermore, you need to learn to share a point without being a jerk. 

 

you sort of missed my point entirely...

by alaur74 on 01 Feb 2012 at about 08:22.

Hmmm... Directing your healthcare decisions is one thing- stating that MDMA is not a typically deadly drug is entirely another. Did I say that I think you should be taking MDMA? No. I stuck to the facts. (By the way, no-one should be 'directing' your healthcare decisions but you. We are only here to provide information, and that includes your doctor.) What we practice in my profession is harm-reduction and health promotion. 


Secondly, you entirely missed my point. Yes, feel nervous about the deaths that have been happening. But get informed about what is actually killing these kids before you just accept what you read in the paper.  Please note that not once did I call it the 'friendly' drug. MDMA is not typically a 'deadly drug'. This article clearly states that it is. I have seen a lot of overdoses that get quite serious, and rarely, if ever, is MDMA the culprit. There are a lot of other drugs being used out there that are potentially much more dangerous. This is my beef with this article: We need less sensational misinformation right now, and more facts. it missed the point and confused MDMA with the 'e' that is implicated in the recent deaths. You are correct in saying that many of the pills being sold on the streets contain all sorts of other chemicals in them. So perhaps we should be talking about what is really killing these kids? Spreading false information is going to lead to more deaths. End of story.


Also, aside from insulting my profession (I guess nurses aren't 'real' professionals?), you over-simplified to make a point. I am confident that our doctors are aware of what is happening out there. I am also sure that they follow protocol in situations like this, and don't just offer advice to abstain from drinking. That is what he told this person, because that is what happened in this particular case. The doctor had already done testing and knew what this kid had taken. Considering this kid was awake and coherent, and went home later that night, I am pretty sure this doc had it handled. I would wager that he knows a  lot more about this than you do. Or maybe he should leave his job to you, or other 'real' professionals?

Finally, I agree with you about discouraging people from taking 'e' right now. it's the best thing to do.  

 


 

accuracy

by ankors frontdesk on 31 Jan 2012 at about 13:40.

the people who have died in BC and Alberta died of hyperthermia due to ingesting PMMA, not MDMA.

please see ANKORS blog:     http://ankorsblog.inthekoots.com/                      for some thorough information.

also, please drop in (monday - thursday 10 - noon and 2 - 4 pm) or call Jamie at 250-505-5506 or visit the partysafe page on facebook for information on safer drug use, PMMA, MDMA, hyperthermia and more.

have fun, be safe, take good care of yourselves and of each other.

if you are with someone who has taken "E", which could contain PMMA, and they begin to have symptoms of hyperthermia (overheating) get them to hospital, or call 911, fast. timeliness could save their life.

 

you need some facts.

by alaur74 on 30 Jan 2012 at about 22:40.

as a healthcare professional and a person who was an outpatient at the emerg department on friday night, I have to tell you that this article is so full of half and non-truths that it is laughable. it is articles like this that perpetuate inaccurate information and the public panic that goes along with it.

Do some research. Typically, MDMA is not a 'deadly drug'. Furthermore, the young man may have tested positive for MDMA, but it should be said that he was told by his doctor that he passed out because he was drinking. The doctor explained to this young man (who was awake and coherent) how and why MDMA can intensify the effects of alcohol. He was advised not to drink when on 'e'. 


I understand that that is not as sensational a headline in the light of all the recent stories of PMMA overdoses (a totally different chemical concoction, FYI) and that yours is more likely to draw readers, but that's the hard truth. And shame on you for serving the interest of the NCP rather than the public with this drivel.

you should be embarassed for jumping on that bandwagon without any factual information to back it up.