nationalpost:

12th death linked to tainted ecstasy in B.C. and Alberta
Tests have linked another Calgary-area death to ecstasy made with a toxic additive, the 12th such death in Western Canada since late last year.

It’s believed the latest test results indicate the death of a 23-year-old student Cody Gorlick at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology residence on Jan. 21 is the latest involving ecstasy made with paramethoxymethamphetamine.

Seven people in Calgary and at least five others in British Columbia have died with the toxic chemical in their system. Officials believe ecstasy pills are being laced with paramethoxymethamphetamine (PMMA), a substance five times more toxic than ordinary ecstasy, or MDMA.

“The risk is outrageous — it’s so high for death and injury,” said EMS spokesman Stuart Brideaux. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a regular user of recreational drugs or a first-time user, what has been occurring is that one dose can be fatal. It’s a total roll of the dice.”