Ecstasy’s dangers discussed on Twitter today

Authorities are taking their warnings about the danger of ecstasy to social media today, trying to get the word out about the toxic chemical that’s killed at least seven people in Calgary.

Richard Yarema, an emergency room doctor and medical director of the city’s Poison and Drug Information Service, will be answering questions related to paramethoxymethamphetamine (PMMA) on Twitter today at 11 a.m.

The chemical is being added to some of the ecstasy (MDMA) available in Calgary and so far has been linked to seven confirmed deaths in Calgary and another in Red Deer, and is suspected in the death of a Calgary man and a Nanton man.

Five people in British Columbia have also died with PMMA in their systems.

Richard Musto, Alberta Health Services medical officer of health, said the health authority can reach the public through the media and youngsters through schools and teachers, but young adults out of school can be difficult to connect with.

“They’re hard to reach. To the extent that they’re on social media, we need to be on there, too,” Musto said.

The Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School District are also reaching out to students by helping to distribute letters about PMMA and its dan- gerous effects.

“There is no safe street drug, and no safe dose of a street drug. There are absolutely no controls in any illegal drug production and drugs could be cut with various substances, unknown to the user, which may lead to injury or death,” reads the letter dated Jan. 11.