Pubdate: Wed, 01 Mar 2006 Source: Esquimalt News (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Esquimalt News Contact: http://www.esquimaltnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1290 DEATHS TRIGGER DRUG ALERT Two drug-related deaths and three non-fatal overdoses in less than 72 hours last week prompted Victoria police to issue an advisory that a bad batch of dope may be for sale on the city's streets. Police said five overdoses occurred between about 9 p.m. Wednesday night and midnight Friday. The first three of the overdoses occurred roughly between 9 p.m. and midnight Wednesday. In each case the victims responded well to treatment and made a full recovery. The first fatal overdose occurred around 3 a.m. Thursday. The victim, a woman in her 40s, was transported to hospital but did not survive. Police were also called to a Douglas Street motel Saturday morning to investigate a suspected overdose. The victim, a 39-year-old woman, was found dead at the scene. Victoria police Insp. Clark Russell said the woman likely died sometime Friday night. Police did not specifically identify the type of drug the victims had taken, but said it "appears to be a bad batch of an injectable drug" on the market. The results of toxicology tests on the two victims won't be known for about six weeks. In the meantime, all police can do is issue a warning to injection drug users and the general public. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman