Pubdate: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Jonathan Fowlie Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone) STOLEN METHADONE SUSPECTED IN DRUG DEATHS VANCOUVER - Police say a recent string of heroin overdose deaths may be connected to the robbery of a pharmacy on the Downtown Eastside earlier this month. On Tuesday, Vancouver police Const. Howard Chow said that thieves had stolen several drugs from a pharmacy on the morning of August 12. He would not identify the pharmacy or say exactly what was taken. Chow said police believe that a supply of bad heroin has led to the overdose death of nine drug users in Vancouver within the past week and a half. The ninth death came on Monday after a 41-year-old woman injected heroin with her boyfriend at the Astoria Hotel on East Hastings Street. The woman was taken to St. Paul's Hospital after complaining about having pain while breathing, and died in hospital on Monday. Chow said police believe the bad heroin may be methadone, and that the supply may be connected to the robbery on Aug. 12. "People are buying this methadone believing it is heroin and using it in that manner and that may be resulting in their overdosing," Chow said Tuesday. "We don't know if this is the start of it, the end of it, if there is a whole lot of product out there," he added, renewing an earlier police warning for drug users to use extra caution. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin