Seventh death linked to tainted ecstasy

CALGARY / Tests have linked a seventh Calgary death to ecstasy made with a toxic additive.

Toxicology results revealed by Calgary police Monday indicated the death of a 23-year-old student Cody Gorlick at the SAIT residence on Jan. 21 is the latest involving ecstasy made with paramethoxymethamphetamine (PMMA).

The addition of PMMA makes ecstasy far more potent and local authorities are linking its recent appearance in supplies being bought and sold in the Calgary area with several recent overdose deaths, including Gorlick’s.

The development in Gorlick’s case came as Calgary police continue to probe whether PMMA was involved in two drug-related cases over the weekend that left one man dead and hospitalized four others.

A 37-year-old man died and a man and woman went to hospital after police and paramedics were called to a home on Sunday morning.

On Saturday, two women in their 20s from Edmonton went to hospital after consuming what they believed was ecstasy.

Two other deaths in the Calgary area since last summer have been linked to ecstasy, while authorities in B.C. believe at least five deaths in that province involve PMMA.

Although PMMA has prompted police and health officials to step up their warnings about the dangers of ecstasy, a senior officer said taking the drug in any form, from any source, is unsafe.

“Let’s not sugar-coat this. It’s very simple: taking ecstasy is very risky,” Supt. Kevan Stuart said.

“You’re playing Russian roulette.”

Ecstasy can come as a powder, be put into capsules or pressed into pills.

Drug investigators said powdered ecstasy has been consistently found in the recent PMMArelated cases — but that doesn’t mean pills or capsules don’t also contain the highly toxic additive.

“It’s not one type of ecstasy,” said drug unit Staff Sgt. Mike Bossley.

The ecstasy police have found in the fatal cases so far hasn’t provided any clues about its source, Bossley added.