2 OF 7 DRUG DEATHS LAST WEEK WERE RECREATIONAL

At least two of seven men who died in a recent 24hour rash of drug
overdoses were likely recreational drug users, a police official said
Sunday.

Inspector Gary Greer said the two were not regular drug users who
bought drugs on the street.

``We have quite a prevalence of dialadope,'' Greer said. ``There are
people who drive around in cars and will deliver it to the door.''

He said while regular users usually know how to combine, use and test
the drugs to avoid overdoses, recreational users may not. They may
also not have known that higher grades were circulating, he said.

The two men, whose names have not been released, were 28 and 31 years
old, and had been freebasing and injecting cocaine with a third man.

Two female friends found them dead in an apartment on East 8th Avenue.
All five had been partying together and when the two women woke up,
they found the two men dead. The third man is on life support in
hospital with irreversible brain damage, Greer said.

Five other men in their 20s and 30s were also found dead last Thursday
and Friday.

Greer said he doesn't yet know whether the dead men were using
cocaine, heroin or both.

``It's hard to say until we get the toxicology reports,'' he said.
``It could be either one, but a combination is likely.''

Once the deaths were reported, word quickly spread on the streets that
apparently highgrade drugs were circulating.

``DEYAS [Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society], who run the
needle exchange, put the word out pretty fast, but the tragedy is that
usually attracts users,'' Greer said.

People want to get the best high they can, Greer said.

Police official Constable Anne Drennan warned addicts and recreational
users to be extremely cautious.