NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — Police say charges are being recommended following the death of a 13-year-old girl who overdosed on ecstasy bought in New Westminster, B.C.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Perry says the teen was with a 16-year-old girl when they bought ecstasy from a street-level drug dealer near a SkyTrain station on July 15.
On their way back home to Port Coquitlam, he says the younger girl went into medical distress and later died at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody.
Perry says toxicology reports confirmed the teen died of a lethal overdose of ecstasy, or MDMA.
A suspect who police say is believed to be responsible for selling the drugs to the teens was arrested and then released on a promise to appear in court.
Charges of two counts of trafficking a controlled substances are being recommended as police warn the public of the dangers of ecstasy.
"This tragic case highlights the very real risks involved in both taking these types of drugs," Sgt. Jeff Scott says in a news release. "We are urging parents to talk with their kids on an ongoing basis about drug use. This is something we should all be concerned about."
Ecstasy was also linked to the overdose death of a 16-year-old girl and the hospitalization of her friend in May after the pair bought the drug in New Westminster.
Perry says a different person who allegedly sold them ecstasy was involved but police don't know if there's a connection between the two incidents.
