@ www.theotherpress.ca News Slew of deaths linked to bad ecstasy Deadly additive used by drug manufacturers a concern By Allie Davison, Staff Writer tragedy struck a Langley home. A sixteen- year-old boy, Kato Burgess, was pronounced dead at Langley Memorial Hospital. The cause? Early coroner reports believe it is the same batch of ecstasy containing the deadly additive that may have killed at least 10 other young people across British Columbia and Alberta since last August. Paramethoxymethamphetamine (PMMA) is a chemical substance that should never be mixed with other substances—drinks, food, or drugs. PMMA is approximately five times more lethal than the common substance used by manufacturers of ecstasy tablets, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). Although PMMA is more lethal, it affects the body slower—so potential victims may not know they are in danger. In fact, the users probably start taking more of the infected drugs because they think they are not working. This is a major contributing factor to the deaths. E arly last Sunday morning, January 15, Simon Fraser University criminologist Rob Gordon has suggested that the new insertion of PMMA into ecstasy pills was probably inserted to either prolong the high or lower the cost; he asserted that the drug producers probably didn’t intend for the drug to kill and have likely pulled the batch off the black market at this point. Whether or not the bad batch has been pulled off the market now is little consolation to the parents and families of the current victims. Burgess’ best friend at school, Matt Delaney, said he had noticed his friend’s heavy partying and was worried. “I wanted to save him, but I didn’t know how to do it. Now, it’s too late.” According to the BC government, lack of funding will prohibit an investigation into all 16 ecstasy-related deaths in the last year—so it is unknown if they are a result of PMMA—but all future drug deaths will be tested for PMMA. The RCMP has been actively looking for, and shutting down, drug manufacturing labs. In the last year they have closed down more than 20 labs in BC. RESEARCH PROJECT ealth Sciences and Business Heieeeers at Douglas College have been chosen to participate in an exciting educational research project! The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) is working with 12 colleges and 1600 students and workers across Canada to test the newly identified National Framework for Essential Skills to determine if improving essential skills helps students and/ or workers to become more successful at school or work. Essential skills are the skills needed for work, learning and life; check out www.hrsdc.ge.ca/ eng /workplaceskills/LES for more information. We have one final week of testing remaining. All Health Sciences and Business students are invited to come get their skills assessed—tree! The assessment will help determine your eligibility to participate in our research project and will qualify you to enter our draw for fabulous prizes (iPads, free tuition, Tim Horton’s gift cards). For more information or to check our assessment schedule please go to: nfessentialskills.pbworks.com or e-mail Cat Adler at adlerc@douglascollege.ca. SFU Relay for Life registration underway Event aims to raise $40,000 for Canadian Cancer Society By Dylan Hackett, News Editor egistration for Simon Fraser Rimes annual Relay for Life event is underway with pledges and fundraising being collected for the March 23 event. All proceeds for the event go towards the Canadian Cancer Society, the country’s premier non- profit organization raising money for cancer research and promoting cancer awareness, as well as providing support for cancer survivors and victims. Last year’s SFU event raised over $38,600. “The goal this year is to raise $50,000,” said Daniel Brimm, co- chair of Team Recruitment and Retention for the Relay for Life, SFU. “So it’s a $10,000 jump, but last year the planning phase began in January, where this year we started in September. I’ve done recruiting and hype posters as well as setting tables up on campus to get the word out. We already have over 10 teams involved right now.” The Relay for Life is a national event with relays run all across Canada. Hundreds of events are held annually with hundreds of millions of dollars raised over the past 13 years. Approximately two out of every five Canadians will develop cancer during their lifetime. and one out of four Canadians will die of cancer. “Our overall goal is to have 26 teams. We’re well on our way; we were at zero teams last year. [The teams] are supposed to cap at 15 [people]. I looked at last year’s roster and it looked like there were 8 to 10 people per team. There was one professor, [Rachel Fouladi], and she ran the entire thing herself without stopping. The entire 12 hours, 7 p.m.-7 a.m.,” explained Brimm. “SFU Residence Life, which is the organization that organizes, and manages all things to do with SFU residential experience, is the main force at SFU putting it on.” Teams are encouraged to register by the early bird deadline of January 31, 2012 to be entered in a draw to win an Apple iPad. Odds for winning are estimated to be 1 in 4500. “The Relay for Life is a non- for-profit event,” said Brimm. “The idea is that there are teams of runners and you have one person from each team running or walking around an indoor track over a 12-hour period—that’s the relay aspect of it, and fundraising is done through pledges. Each member of the team has a $100 recommendation that each person tries to raise. Last year the average, I believe was $310 per person.” So far, this year’s event has raised over $1500 dollars based on pledge amounts and registration fees. Teams from the public are welcome to sign up online at www. relaybc.ca/faf/home/ default. asp ?ievent=480829.