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British Columbia police who refused to reveal details of a rogue batch of ecstasy linked to five deaths were roundly criticized this week, for risking the lives of more people.

Specific pills containing PMMA have been linked to the deaths of three men and two women since the beginning of last year, though BC police spokesperson Lisa Lapointe told reporters they were refraining from posting photos online.

“We don’t want to give the impression that these are the tablets that are risky, and other tablets are safe,” she told reporters, “At any time, any tablet can be contaminated with anything.” (Huffington Post: http://huff.to/AukIc7 )

Civil liberties campaigner Scott Morgan described their response as ‘sick logic’.

“Listen, if you don’t want people to think you’re sanctioning the other pills, then say something like, “we’re not sanctioning the other pills.” What’s so hard about that? But for the sake of saving human lives, at least tell people what the poison pills look like,” the DRC.net expert urged.

“Drug users are people, you know. They don’t want to kill their friends. If everyone knows what the poisoned pills look like, they can help get them off the street,” he said.

The police’s actions were also condemned by numerous commentators in the Vancouver Sun, including anonymous user Anon 485616485 who pointed out that if authorities legalized and regulated ecstasy, poison pills would be eradicated.

“I’ve never used illegal drugs, but I have a heart and a brain,” Anon 485616485 added.

“So I know that to hold the lives of ecstasy users hostage, knowing some will die as a result, in order to enforce some morality-based ban, is quite simply an act of evil.” (Vancouver Sun: http://bit.ly/zCfLho )

Top criminologist Rob Gordon said that new danger chemical has entered pill makers’ recipes in the last 12 months since authorities cracked down on the supply of precursor chemicals for making MDMA.

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a World in Action 30 minute program about raving in London in 1988……

Drug expert Professor David Nutt and the Daily Telegraph called for ecstasy testing to be introduced in the UK after two more young clubbers died after taking pills at raves at London’s Alexander Palace (on consecutive nights.

Telegraph columnist Andrew M Brown pointed out that many middle-aged adults took ecstasy in their youth, confessing ‘we’ve lived through it, we’ve had children, many of us, and now we want those children to be safe from needless harm’.

“I know it would be best if young people took no illegal drugs, but we should surely deal with the world as it is, not as we would like it to be,” he suggested. “That way, we might avoid at least some of the tragedies.” (Telegraph; http://tgr.ph/vMCOcU )

Ecstasy expert Professor David Nutt questioned police suggestions that both deaths were caused by a ‘rogue batch’ or ecstasy and called for a knowledge-based approach based on pill testing to reduce future tragedies.

“We need to abandon the current government approach that relies on fear of harms underpinned by ignorance of what drugs users are taking as the prime approach,” the Professor urged.

“This has failed, and will continue to do so, for young people are relatively uninterested in possible threats to health. It may even make things worse as often young drugs users are fearful of seeking medical help for themselves or their friends because of the real threat of police prosecution,” he noted. (Guardian; http://bit.ly/v5qeM0 )

Drugs expert Danny Kushlick from Transform reflected that the chances of serving British politicians even considering such measures are virtually zero however, in an interview with Irish website thejournal.ie in which he noted that ‘‘alternative views cannot be tolerated’.

“It is instructive to look at the drug policy trajectory of two world leaders – Barack Obama and David Cameron. Both are former users of illegal drugs and both held reform positions before they reached high office,” the drugs charity’s head of External Affairs noted, “Once in high office their views apparently shifted to more hawkish, populist positions.” (Transform: http://bit.ly/vzZKao )

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Drug expert Professor David Nutt and the Daily Telegraph called for ecstasy testing to be introduced in the UK after two more young clubbers died after taking pills at raves at London’s Alexander Palace (on consecutive nights.

Telegraph columnist Andrew M Brown pointed out that many middle-aged adults took ecstasy in their youth, confessing ‘we’ve lived through it, we’ve had children, many of us, and now we want those children to be safe from needless harm’.

“I know it would be best if young people took no illegal drugs, but we should surely deal with the world as it is, not as we would like it to be,” he suggested. “That way, we might avoid at least some of the tragedies.” (Telegraph; http://tgr.ph/vMCOcU )

Ecstasy expert Professor David Nutt questioned police suggestions that both deaths were caused by a ‘rogue batch’ or ecstasy and called for a knowledge-based approach based on pill testing to reduce future tragedies.

“We need to abandon the current government approach that relies on fear of harms underpinned by ignorance of what drugs users are taking as the prime approach,” the Professor urged.

“This has failed, and will continue to do so, for young people are relatively uninterested in possible threats to health. It may even make things worse as often young drugs users are fearful of seeking medical help for themselves or their friends because of the real threat of police prosecution,” he noted. (Guardian; http://bit.ly/v5qeM0 )

Drugs expert Danny Kushlick from Transform reflected that the chances of serving British politicians even considering such measures are virtually zero however, in an interview with Irish website thejournal.ie in which he noted that ‘‘alternative views cannot be tolerated’.

“It is instructive to look at the drug policy trajectory of two world leaders – Barack Obama and David Cameron. Both are former users of illegal drugs and both held reform positions before they reached high office,” the drugs charity’s head of External Affairs noted, “Once in high office their views apparently shifted to more hawkish, populist positions.” (Transform: http://bit.ly/vzZKao )

Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff