DANGEROUS…A form of ecstasy, known as PMA, has been linked to eight sudden deaths across Northern Ireland
FOLLOWING the revelation that eight sudden deaths across Belfast and Coleraine could be linked to a deadly drug, a source among drug circles in Fermanagh says it could be in circulation here.
The drug, believed to be ‘PMA’, is said to be a ‘stronger’ form of ecstasy, the latter which can be bought for as little as £5 in Enniskillen.
“I wouldn’t rule out that it’s circulating here, Enniskillen is thriving in ‘Class A’ drugs at the moment,” according to the source, himself a casual drug user.
“I’d say people are told it’s a pill and it will get you ‘out of it’ and that’s all they care about.”
He described the biggest ‘source’ for drug dealers here as being Belfast. Shockingly, he cited children as young as 12 as taking drugs within the county.
The Western Trust confirmed, however, that no-one at the South West Acute Hospital has been treated for that particular drug, while, police had not yet confirmed the link between the drug and the deaths.
The source went on to describe the increasing popularity of ecstasy pills in the last one and a half to two years, describing cannabis, as another popular drug.
He said 10 -15 drug dealers ‘control the town’.
“In Enniskillen there’s always going to be an endless amount of drugs. That won’t be fixed. It’s because Enniskillen is the centre-point. It’s only an hour and a half away from Belfast which is one of the main importers,” he explained.
“You can get anything at all in Enniskillen, if you’re looking for it, you’ll find it. The thing with ecstasy is, it’s as cheap as £5 – £10 – that’s you high for a whole night. Which is crazy. The thing is, if it’s £5 – £10 to buy, how much is it costing to make?”
The source also went on to describe the so-called ‘clientele’ as wide and varied.
“The thing is, you’d be surprised by how many people are starting to try drugs. It’s not just – I hate to stereotype – but ‘druggies’, I mean people who would think very highly of themselves, be very well presented, and have never done anything wrong in their lives – yet they’re still going out and taking an ecstasy tablet.”
And concerns over the potential health risks don’t appear to be of importance: “People seem to think ‘I might as well give it a go’.”
A police spokesman said: “We have no information or intelligence regarding the existence of a ‘bad batch’ of anything at this time.
“But what we would say is that any drugs that aren’t prescribed and are used by individuals in Northern Ireland have potential consequences.
“We would urge anyone with information regarding drug misuse in Northern Ireland to contact the Police Service.”
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