Three men died of overdose after “chemsex” evenings in Bordeaux: the origin of the drugs involved?

Three men aged 44 to 61 died from overdoses in March in Bordeaux. Investigations are underway.

What is happening in Bordeaux? Since the beginning of March, the police have observed several deaths apparently occurring in similar circumstances. Each time, the victims are men. Each time, there is talk of an overdose. And each time, it appears that the victims had sex while on drugs. If the investigations continue, BFMTV, which reports the facts, raises the possibility that these deaths could have occurred during “Chemsex” evenings. But what is it about?

Until recently, the practice was rather confidential. The fatal road accident in which comedian Pierre Palmade was involved, which occurred in February 2023, made her known to the general public. “Chemsex” is a portmanteau that combines the terms “chemical”, i.e. “chemical” or “product”, and “sex”. In short, the practice consists of having sex while under the influence of drugs.

According to information from BFMTV, since partly confirmed by Le Figaro, the lifeless bodies of two men, aged 44 and 47, were found on March 12 in an apartment in the Gironde capital. While the news channel reports that the deaths dated several days before the discovery, Le Figaro points out the fact that a “significant” quantity of drugs was on site. An investigation into the causes of death was opened and the prosecution ordered an autopsy of the bodies as well as various analyses, particularly toxicological.

A few days later, on the night of March 15 to 16, a third man, this time aged 61, also died by overdose following an evening during which he appeared to have had several sexual relations with men. A fourth man, for his part, managed to escape, not without a trip to the emergency room where he was admitted in a coma, also after an overdose. Investigators are now trying to shed light on the drug which could be at the origin of these various deaths and, with it, its supply chain.