Published On: May 10, 2000
Dateline: Toronto
Source: National Post (Canada)
There is no way to tell how many Ecstasy pills Allen Ho took prior to his death, a coroner’s inquest heard yesterday.
The question of what precisely the 21-year-old Ryerson student consumed has attracted a great deal of interest in the weeks leading up to the inquest. But while the jury was told how much MDMA, or Ecstasy, was in his blood, it also heard that MDMA content can vary greatly between pills.
“One pill could be equivalent to 10 pills, depending on the source of where this drug is manufactured,” explained Betty Chow, a toxicologist with the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto.
Moreover, Ms. Chow told the jury there can be a great deal of individual susceptibility to the drug. She explained that a search of the limited literature on it showed people have died with one-third the concentration of MDMA that Mr. Ho had in his blood and lived with three times that concentration. “The way MDMA affects an individual is quite variable,” she said.
Mr. Ho died on Oct. 10 last year after attending an all-night party in an underground parking garage at 501 Alliance Ave. in the city’s west end. He was discovered on the floor of the garage about 3:30 a.m., unresponsive and having seizures. He died in hospital 15 hours later.
None of the friends he went to the rave with have been willing to come forward, so police don’t have any evidence about what Mr. Ho took. The toxicologist’s report showed there were 0.13 mg of MDMA per 100 ml of Mr. Ho’s blood and that he also had THC (the active ingredient in marijuana that produces the high) in his system.
The inquest also heard evidence about the key complications of MDMA that Mr. Ho exhibited, ones that grew progressively worse until his death.
Pathologist Dr. Timothy Feltis said that chain of events involved seizures and a very high temperature—over 41C, as compared to a normal temperature of about 37C—as well as low blood pressure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation, which involves damage to the cells lining blood vessels, so that the clotting system runs amok.
Mr. Ho had extensive bleeding externally, where paramedics had attached an intravenous line, as well as bleeding in his heart, esophagus and stomach.
Some of the day’s most surprising testimony came from Richard Paciorek, a supervisor with Northwest Protection Services, one of two security firms hired to work the event Mr. Ho attended.
Under questioning from Paul McDermott, the coroner’s counsel, he told the inquest that his staff normally tolerates drugs at raves and nightclubs to the extent that a promoter wishes them to. Mr. Paciorek, who has provided security for many raves, said he usually asks a promoter what their tolerance for drugs will be at an event.
Depending on the answer, security staff will do anything from flushing confiscated drugs down a toilet to kicking a patron out or turning people over to the police.
Mr. McDermott pointed out that drug possession is illegal. He then asked why security staff did not make citizens’ arrests when they found drugs. Mr. Paciorek replied that they are not hired for that purpose. He noted he’s seen police officers also turn a blind eye to drugs, such as marijuana at music concerts.
Mr. Paciorek also said that since December—when the city and the rave community passed a protocol of standards for raves—he has found both promoters and nightclub owners in the city have moved towards a zero-tolerance drug policy.
However, at city council today, Mel Lastman, the mayor, will introduce a motion to ban city-sponsored raves.
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