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  • AADD Moderators: swilow | Vagabond696

Ecstasy drug deaths double in UK

C

corolla

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Ecstasy drug deaths double in UK
LONDON|Published: Tuesday July 30, 8:06 AM
The number of deaths blamed on the illegal drug ecstasy doubled in England and Wales last year, officials said.
More than 40 people died in ecstasy-related deaths in 2001, twice the 20 who died in 2000, and far more than the 17 in 1999 and 11 in 1998, said a spokesman for St George's Hospital in London.
He blamed the rise on cheaper ecstasy prices, stronger forms of the drug, and younger users.
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The figures, collected by the hospital, came just two weeks after widespread media coverage of the death of a 10-year-old British boy who had accidentally swallowed ecstasy pills.
"The rise comes at the same time as ecstasy becomes cheaper and is used more recreationally in the dance culture by people who wouldn't normally take it," the spokesman said on condition of anonymity.
He said the use of stronger forms of ecstasy, including a new version called paramethoxyamphetamine, or PMA, was an emerging trend.
The findings were based on deaths reported by coroners in England and Wales, and have been published every six months since 1998.
theage.com 'breaking news'
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Does anyone know where I'd be able to find the figures for the estimated number of people that took ecstasy over that same period?
 
This can't be good, more mis-leading information.
PMA is nothing like MDMA in its nature.
Just imagine all the little misinformed ravers starting to look for PMA cause the paper said its a stronger form of MDMA.
Soon you'll have all these 'UN-EDUCATED' ravers dying from overdosing on PMA.
*sigh*
 
I'm not sure if the following will be helpful but here goes :)
From the UK govt select committee on drugs policy
While only 5% of men and women aged 16-59 had ever taken ecstasy, according to the British Crime Survey 2000, the proportion of 16-29 year olds who had was 12%. In the last year, 2% of 16-59 year olds and 5% of 16-29 year olds had used it; in the last month, 1% and 3% respectively. Mr McNicholas, editor of Musik magazine, estimated that about two million ecstasy tablets are taken every weekend, although it is obviously not possible to equate this directly to numbers of users, as some people take more than one tablet at one time.
And from UK Observer poll (their "Drugs in Britain" subsite has a huuuge amount of articles and info, this is from a big special report they did in April, the poll makes interesting reading)
More people now believe tobacco is a 'drug of greater risk' than ecstasy, according to the Observer/ICM poll, which also reveals that more than 5 million people regularly use cannabis, 2.4m ecstasy and 2m amphetamines and cocaine.
Two in five people between 25 and 34 and more than a third of 35- to 44-year-olds say they have taken unlawful drugs, confirming that drug use is more prevalent than previously believed.
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I'd suggest the number of people experimenting with illegal drugs taken in pill form would have gone close to doubling; or at least the number of NEW users in say 2001, is likely to be much greater than new users in 2000. And arguably new users are the ones most at risk.
That article highlights a major problem in that for the general public (including many drug users) "ecstasy" has ceased to mean MDMA or even MDXX, but simply any "pill" sold illegally, often with a logo and/or coloured.
(i.e: its "ecstasy" regardless of what it actually contains). :(
Education is everything i guess and we can all try and assist with that :)
 
I find it ironic that the appearance of PMA in pills and the increase in deaths due to E has occurred at the same time as the US governments renewal of their war on drugs.
Just a thought.
 
I'd suggest the number of people experimenting with illegal drugs taken in pill form would have gone close to doubling
You got anything to back that up? I'd be very surprised if it were true.
Insomnia: the sad thing is, this story turned up in most papers in the UK - even the Guardian, normally very sympathetic to drug use. I think they're just not bothering to verify the true story - the 'PMA is a form of ecstasy' line was carried in every report I've seen.
I know at least one of the UK BLers (Dr Suess) wrote to them and complained.
See http://www.bluelight.ru/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=9&t=002586
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Right to pull me up on that one Simon; that was a rather poor sweeping statement without any proof, that on reflection is certainly an exaggeration.
Although imo, just from observation, the number of new "pillers" is definitely increasing and the average age decreasing.
Also i think u would find a greater proportion of ecstasy users who dont do any other drugs, and essentially have little to no experience in substances beyond alcohol. They are likely to run into more problems than your more schooled drug user, who whilst maybe never taking MDMA before, has still submitted their body and mind to the effects of powerful psychoactives.
I have seen a number of people recently make the big jump from alcohol to MDMA who for some reason or another would never consider other illicit drugs; as its becoming increasingly glamourised and commonplace.
[ 02 August 2002: Message edited by: Biscuit ]
 
10 yr old boy? Heh, for some reason I thought it was a girl.
I blame the media for that, and Anna Woods Mum who came around and crapped on about how deadly "ecstacies" are, back when I was in school.
 
Nah Splatt, you were right, it was a girl. It must've been a typo when they edited a longer article off the news feeds - the same article on UK media sites refer to her by name. There was a case a few days later of a 3 year old boy who also swallowed some (but survived) so I guess some bright spark got them confused.
I do find it interesting though that there's been no follow-up/toxicology reports about the death though. Must be a couple of weeks now and at the time they were talking about tests that would take 2-3 days being done. I've not seen anything (and I'm a total news junkie) since and you can be sure that if they could pin it on e only there'd be a lot of publicity.
 
Although imo, just from observation, the number of new "pillers" is definitely increasing and the average age decreasing.
Yeah, I think you could be right there - certainly in the UK, because prices are so low and anyone can get it - i don't think numbers would be close to doubling though - it's a pretty well-established scene there.
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I read in a magazine a while ago the estimated figures for ecstasy consumption on any given weekend in the uk was 2 million pills. (previously thought to be 500,000) and almost double that in ireland.
 
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