Americans have seen a substantial rise of Canadian-made meth-laced ecstasy being smuggled in to the United States over the past few years.
According to a press release from the Office of National Drug Control Policy ( ONDCP ) in the United States, nearly 5.5 million doses of this 'extreme ecstasy' were seized in 2006 in the 10 border states, up from just over 568,000 doses seized in 2003.
However, Calgary-based RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb says he is not aware of methamphetamine-laced ecstasy, nor the drugs on their own, being exported from this region.
"No seizures have been made by the integrated border unit," Webb said.
The veteran RCMP officer said there are methamphetamine, ecstasy and a combination of both drugs out there, but RCMP and Calgary Police Service both make regular seizures of these drugs and the amount of these drugs in the Calgary area is not out of hand.
However, Webb said, it is an issue across Southern Alberta.
"If somebody wants it, they can find it," he said.
Webb said methamphetamine is combined with ecstasy because more people are willing to try ecstasy than meth, so it is mixed to make a more addictive drug, with the result that dealers can make more money.
"With most drugs, the people dealing it have no care for the people using it," Webb said. "It's not done for anyone's good feelings, just for money."
Both methamphetamine and ecstasy can interfere with the body's ability to regulate temperature, which can lead to an increase in body temperature. Although this may not sound too dangerous, a rise in body temperature can cause liver, kidney or cardiovascular system failure or even death.
According to the ONDCP press release, RCMP estimate Canadian ecstasy labs can produce more than two million doses of ecstasy per week.
One reason that number is so high could be that most ingredients used to make these drugs are unrestricted, so it isn't difficult to get them.
However,Webb said, ingredients that are restricted are still available in some manner.
The ONDCP report said that more than 55 per cent of ecstasy doses seized in the U.S. contained methamphetamine.
Before 2003, Belgium and the Netherlands were the primary suppliers of ecstasy to the U.S., but through improved government co-operation, law enforcement operations and media reports the drug trafficking network was severely reduced.
ONDCP hopes that a similar method could be used to reduce drug trafficking between the U.S. and Canada.
