NZ Drug Foundation response to Police statement on drug-related death in Canterbury

Sarah Helm, NZ Drug Foundation Executive Director:

“Our thoughts are with this person’s friends and whānau.

“It is unusual for Police to comment on an incident like this without a toxicology report having been completed.

“We don’t yet have all of the information, so we’d caution against rushing to conclusions in this case. We don’t yet know if the substance this person took was adulterated or not. Fatalities from unadulterated MDMA are exceptionally rare.

“In general, we continue to encourage people to get their drugs checked. In the first six months of this year, a third of the drugs we tested were somewhat or completely different to what people thought they were.

"Drug checking is free, legal and completely confidential. It helps people stay safer by telling them what is in their drugs. People can find information about drug checking clinics and tips on how to stay safer at thelevel.org.nz”

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