A potential ecstasy-related death in Langley is under investigation, the B.C. Coroners Service said Monday.
A BCCS release says a 16-year-old boy from Langley was with others when he reportedly took ecstasy Saturday night, along with other pharmaceutical drugs.
"In the early morning hours of Jan. 15, the boy was heard to collapse, and one of the others nearby called 911," says the BCCS.
"Paramedics attended quickly and transported the boy to Langley Memorial Hospital. He could not be revived."
Toxicology testing will be completed as quickly as possible to determine whether the use of ecstasy was a factor in the death and if so, whether the ecstasy tablet included the presence of PMMA (paramethoxymethamphetamine).
PMMA has been linked to five ecstasy-related deaths in B.C. in the past six months, the BCCS announced last week, with two of those deaths occurring this month. PMMA has also been linked to several recent deaths in Alberta.
Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe says this latest death again emphasizes the point that every ingestion of ecstasy is a risk as there is no way of determining the actual ingredients of a drug concocted for profit in an unregulated environment.
Even though ecstasy is often thought to be a recreational drug rather than an addictive one, "There is no known safe does," Lapointe stressed.
The BCCS is continuing to work closely with police and health authorities regarding these deaths.