THE Dublin City Coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, said yesterday the "unpredictable and toxic reactions" to the drug ecstasy were well known and he stressed that such reactions were not dose related.
He was speaking at an inquest which heard how a young man collapsed and died in Dublin soon after taking half a tablet.
"... a reaction can occur on the first ingestion of the drug or any time thereafter. The reason why some people experience toxic reactions is not clear, although research into the matter is on going," said Dr Farrell.
He recorded a verdict of death by misadventure in the case of Mr Rory Kavanagh (25), whose existing heart defect combined with the taking of the drug resulted in his death.
The inquest heard that Mr Kavanagh, a native of Galway city with an address at North Great George's Street, Dublin, had been enjoying an evening out with his friend, Mr Sean Gillick, on November 10th last year.
On the way to a club they shared a ecstasy tablet, Mr Gillick told the inquest. Soon after they moved on to The Irish Film Centre, in Eustace Street, where they bought a drink. After a short while Mr Kavanagh said he felt ill.
Mr Kavanagh rushed into a bathroom cubicle, where he collapsed.
"I heard a thud, like someone falling to the ground. I tried to push the door open, but he was lying against it. I forced my way in and rested him on the toilet. All the colour had drained out of him," said Mr Gillick.
A pathologist, Dr Niall Gallagher, said Mr Kavanagh had an underlying defect of the cardiac clectrical conduction system and had previously been seen by a cardiologist.
He believed that the cause of death was this pre existing heart defect, precipitated by the ingestion of the ecstasy drug.