The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the White House Office of National Drug Policy report that Canada has become a major exporter of a new methamphetamine-laced variety of ecstasy to the U.S.

Both ingredients in this new combination drug can have toxic effects on the brain. When mixed, the body’s ability to regulate temperature is disrupted, leading to hypothermia, potentially causing liver, kidney or cardiovascular system failure—and even death.

When combined with alcohol, the potential for fatal overdose is increased.

In 2003, 568,220 dosage units of ecstasy were seized by federal authorities in 10 U.S. states bordering Canada; this increased to 5.4 million units in 2006. Of the samples confiscated in the U.S. last year, over 55% contained methamphetamine, according to the policy office.

John Walters, the White House Policy Chief, said, “This ‘Extreme Ecstasy’ is a disturbing development in what has been one of the most significant international achievements against the illicit drug trade.”

“Historic progress against Ecstasy availability and use is in jeopardy of being rolled back by Canadian criminal organizations. Desperate to develop their client base, they are dangerously altering a product for which demand by youth and young adults had plummeted, and are exploiting vulnerabilities along our shared border. This is alarming for the youth of both Canada and the United States.”