NEWS: News.com.au - 2/2/09 'Girl dies of Big Day Out drug overdose'

[koggi]

NOW LISTEN UP KIDS AND THOSE WITH KIDS. The anger is almost unbearable. They(cops, especially the commish, as he should know better/govt) don't care about you. I know enough cops and the majority would say "overdose? what an idiot" then binge the night away on alcohol. Please, please look after each other. PARENTS, educate yourselves and your kids. Our kids don't deserve this. I feel guilt for being so silent


FILENET 17 years old

 

[filenet]

Drug dogs don't work, who do they catch? The low end user who has 2 or so pills on them, wow that's really making a difference in the drug trade. How many pills would they have confiscated? 200? That is hardly a dent......

Police & dog presence deter the dealers! How many dealers do you think got through the gates with 500 pills, 20g of power, ounce of weed, 500ml of fanta etc stashed away....oh and also the other stuff that accompanies such scum, like weapons?

Festivals like these are a dealers dream - punters will pay anything for anything (which is exactly what it could be...anything!)

What if the tragedy was some scum dealer off loading a heap of PMA pills to unsuspecting punters who have had a few drinks under their belts. The delayed onset of PMA makes them drop another, washed down with a beer - next thing you have a swarm of punters dropping in the hot sun! Then all you people would be like "bloody coppers, doing nothing! letting shit like this happen......what happened to their social responsibility.....wah wah wah!"



So all - what is your answer then? Just stop with the police & their hounds and everything will be just great!!! Next one of you will post that all drugs should be legalised!


Mr Blonde: something is seriously wrong with harm minimisation in this country if our youth are choosing to have their first drug experience in this sort of environment and not knowing the risks involved!

Come on all - it was the system that failed her - the dogs didnt kill her!

 

[Biscuit]

I agree with Hoptis and phase_dancer entirely.

Those involved in the health system or law enforcement, and who also come from a harm minimisation perspective or the "typical" perspective of a Bluelighter, would never support the use of sniffer dogs in the way the police have utilised them at the Perth BDO and at other festivals.

Of course the police are not solely to blame but her death would not have occurred but for the unapologetic police presence, supposedly designed to keep drugs out of these festivals. They cannot keep drugs out of the country, they are not going to keep them out of music festivals.

It solves nothing. It will not deter drug users. One can only hope that perhaps those younger and sillier will now realise that ingesting several pills in quick succession is never a good idea, especially when the temperature is near 40 degrees. It should not take a tragedy to do this though and my heart goes out to the girl and her family.

I also wonder if the ride she went on had anything to do with it. It cannot have helped. The risk of stroke or heart attack would increase one would expect, especially if her body was already failing.

And now of course the search is on for the hapless drug supplier. Likely a friend who is not a regular drug dealer but was sorting out his "crew" on the day. The media reports that detectives from the Major Crime Squad and the Organised Crime Squad are now conducting an investigation into who the supplier is.

Well the Major Crime Squad generally investigates murders. Very serious crime. They are never going to get the supplier on a manslaughter charge so why would the MCS be interested in this. They have much better things to do.

Then there is the Organised Crime Squad. They generally investigate bikie gangs, european mafia types, asian gangs etc with, not surprisingly, an emphasis on very high end drug trafficking. Not the young kid who made the terrible mistake of supplying his young friend with a few ecstasy pills.

It is politically motivated policing at its worst. For every junkie that overdoses on heroin or commits suicide during a meth psychosis, are experienced detectives from the MCS and OCS called in to find the deceased's supplier and haul him or her before the courts? Hardly.

So not only have the police wasted enormous resources in using the sniffer dogs and countless officers to flush out a tiny minority of people unlucky enough to be targeted by some wayward dog, but detectives with much more important things to do are now combing Perth for the person who supplied these drugs, so that they can have their scapegoat and someone to direct much of the blame upon.

It will be front page news, even though I bet this individual is charged with the paltry supply of 3 pills. 3 pills that, on a very hot day, tragically killed a 17 year old girl who was spooked by the police presence into making the foolish decision to neck them all. That decision cost her her life and ruined that of her family's, and yet the police believe they are winning the war. Why does there even need to be one?

 

[koggi]

Come on all - it was the system that failed her - the dogs didnt kill her!

fair point. You mean general attitude toward drug use?

 

[Mr Blonde]

Mr Blonde: something is seriously wrong with harm minimisation in this country if our youth are choosing to have their first drug experience in this sort of environment and not knowing the risks involved!

Come on all - it was the system that failed her - the dogs didnt kill her!

The system failed her alright, but those dogs and that police presence is a part of that system.

I understand where you are coming from about taking responsibility, but lets face it; are the majority of people using drugs in this country educated enough about them to take full responsibility for their actions? Drug education is a load of shit here, it's all 'Just Say No' and no real information. In my schooling, we only had a few drug education lessons over 12 whole years. All of them were exercises in trying to scare us away and none of them provided real information.

This poor girl was failed on many levels; by politicians who don't want to see children educated about what's out there, by law makers who think that putting harsh penalties on possession is a real deterrent and by police who no doubt know that the kind of work they do may lead to tragic consequences like this.

 

[koggi]

I dare say that dogs will be seen at most/all these type events in the future, Can't the organisers and cops get together and give punters a ditch option? no qustions asked, before the dogs or searches? I know some will still neck their drugs but some, especially the very young like this girl it may just give her the out that she needed. anything for fucks sake

 

[Mr Blonde]

^ They have amnesty bins in the UK at festivals I remember hearing about, you can ditch your stuff in them.

 

[malakaix]

^ Yeah i remember reading an article about them.. there was a SHITLOAD of drugs collected in the bins.

 

[Mostasteless]

You know, that bin option sounds like a good idea. Its unfortunate that the supplier is going to be the scapegoat in this one, I'm sure it was a friend of hers who supplied and he/she's life will no doubt be fucked.

Its a real shame that this happened, and honestly, the way the system treats drug use just doesn't work.

 

[my innerself]

theres been alot of talk about how the police are to blame for this, but seriously she saw the dogs checking people at the gates, she didn't have to drop all 3 at once. Im sure she had ample oportunity to turn around and dispose of them. But she chose to dump all 3 knowing the dangers. Its a sad and tragic thing to happen. But blaming the police on this isn't right. You need a certain level of police pesence at these events anyway. Do you blame cops for teenagers in stolen cars who crash and die after being chased? shit, most of the time the response from people when they hear of an incedent like that is "fuck em, there responsible for their own actions".

I guess this situation has highlighted the fact that people will get scared and eat there drugs. But do you really think that they are going to stop sniffer dogs in the future?

 

[Crankinit]

I think amnesty bins and decriminalizing personal use quantities would be a massive start.

Obviously the threat of legal action isn't enough to stop young people taking drugs, but it's now been shown to be enough to make them make foolish mistakes and end up dead. Confiscation and on the spot fines for under 10 pills would be a huge step forward for reasonable drug policy.

And for fucks sake, can we get some decent education. Most people out there taking drugs don't know any more than what they're told by their friends and random munted clubbers. We need to teach people to know their limits and respect their drugs.

 

[person]

SAD!

BLers were talking about tragedies like this when the first sign of sniffer dogs started popping up at events months ago.

Now its into fruition.

 

[j-bird]

Whoever brings those amnesty bins in should get this site's full support. We know it's a part of the scene and only a fool would think otherwise.

If these bins stop just ONE death, it's worth every single bit of extra paperwork and headache.

Venue promoters get less bad publicity, and law enforcement get a chance to capture a sample of what's out there in terms of availability and content.

It should be mandatory at these festivals. I should think about writing to my local MP about this.

 

[expothead]

IMHO any police presence at these events should be targeting anti-social behaviour and blatant law-breaking only. Honestly what have they gained: a few drug busts, a bunch of alienated patrons and a death.

If the police can call off car chases when conditions get too dangerous, perhaps they should also call off drug searches because of the inherent dangers.

On the subject of blame and responsibility - surely this lies with the politicians. Yes, taking drugs can be dangerous but a simple acceptance that this will happen (which requires a level of maturity not found in politicians), and an embracing of harm-reduction idealogy would be a much better option for EVERYONE.

 

[baysieguy1]

I think amnesty bins and decriminalizing personal use quantities would be a massive start.

Obviously the threat of legal action isn't enough to stop young people taking drugs, but it's now been shown to be enough to make them make foolish mistakes and end up dead. Confiscation and on the spot fines for under 10 pills would be a huge step forward for reasonable drug policy.

And for fucks sake, can we get some decent education. Most people out there taking drugs don't know any more than what they're told by their friends and random munted clubbers. We need to teach people to know their limits and respect their drugs.

Agree totally with this.

If it's someone getting caught with 500 pills by a sniffer dog, well that is the risk they take and tough.

Someone getting caught with 3 pills and then living life with a criminal record that could change their future, that's bullshit. The better outcome would be no charges, fine, confiscation (no record).

If all people in authority were squeaky clean, I could nearly accept their opinions of "naughty, bad, dirty drugs", but chances are that they will have dabbled when they were younger and possibly still be dabbling.

And when sniffer dogs stop sniffing their own handlers, that would be a good start!!!

Education!! I was a late starter to e, I learnt a shit load of information from the net, including BL, I have educated myself, and I can assure you that when my children get to an age were they may become involved in drugs, I will educate them myself, because I know that they will be given false information and bad advice through the education system.

Not all children find BL, not all children want to risk using the internet to find information on drugs, "what if mum or dad catch me?!?!?" . SO they rely on fairytales and rumour from friends, not a good outcome.

Education!!!!! one of the answers indeed, but it has to be driven from the top, "Just Say No" DOESN'T WORK!, educate to achieve harm minimisation, this is something that should be a government responsibility, all we need is a government that is prepared to make the real decisions that will save our children rather than the populist ones that will make decisions of enforcement that will make them look good in the press to the "blue rinse" set!!!!

My thoughts go out to this girls family, she was young, enjoying life and dabbling in drugs, the fear of getting caught by a sniffer dog and the ramifications of being caught, has led her to making a bad decision, unfortunately she will not live to regret that decision.

PLUR

 

[alfisti72]

So sad and angry, cant sit and just read any more.

So my 2 cents FWIW...

Nobody forced this girl (Gemma... ) to neck her stash.

BUT

We can only make decisions based on information and knowledge we have at the time we make them. The police presence, poor drug education, state of mind are all factors- but blame? Fault?

We are looking to blame someone, anyone, because its easier than just accepting that a choice, no matter how poorly thought thru, resulted in this death. But thats what we have here.. a combination of circumstance, background, education and state of mind (On both sides).. and it sucks.

SO I'll repeat what others have said:

Legislate

Regulate

Educate

Youre all my big stupid fabulous extended family... take care of each other.

And remember, the safety word is banana.

 

[belarki]

The system failed her alright, but those dogs and that police presence is a part of that system.... Drug education is a load of shit here, it's all 'Just Say No' and no real information....

So true. If we can have decent sex education to minimise harm from potential sexually transmitted disease, unwanted pregnancy etc, then why the fuck can't we have decent drug and alcohol education?

*fumes*

 

[SeveredPsyche]

We can only make decisions based on information and knowledge we have at the time we make them.

Indeed, that's certainly a large part of the problem. An informed choice is impossible without education.

Sniffer dogs blamed for BDO overdose
Posted 2 hours 58 minutes ago
Updated 37 minutes ago

Campaigners against drug sniffer dogs say a death from a suspected overdose at Perth's Big Day Out music festival on Sunday shows the police tactic is dangerous.

It is believed 17-year-old Gemma Thomas took three ecstasy pills at once because she was scared she would be caught by the dogs.

She collapsed, was taken to a first aid tent and later died in hospital.

New South Wales Greens MP Sylvia Hale has been warning governments for years this might happen if they use sniffer dogs at festivals.

"It just makes one incredibly sad," she said.

"What do you say to the parents?

"What do you say to the police or the state governments who have so consistently ignored the warnings?"

Ms Hale says a 1996 report by the NSW Ombudsman criticised the use of dogs at music festivals, saying they are ineffective.

"They're real PR exercises, trying to persuade the public at large what they're doing is effective. Whereas, indeed, it really is life-threatening behaviour," she said.

But WA Police are making no apologies for the sniffer dog operation at Sunday's Big Day Out, saying it was part of a harm minimisation attitude.

Premier Colin Barnett has also defended police actions.

"I don't apologise for that," he said.

"As tragic as this case is, it is sadly one further example of the devastating effects of drug usage.

"To young people in Western Australian I simply say, look what's happening around [you]. Look at the tragedy, the loss of life, people with mental health problems, inability to complete school, to study, to succeed in life and in their careers."

An autopsy is yet to be conducted to confirm the exact cause of Thomas's death.

"Your ABC". The comments section is quite lively.

 

[filenet]

I just dont understand why the police are the only group targeted here?

harm minimisation is not the full responsibility of the police - it starts at home remember!

Fact is that she chose to buy and take the the pills herself in that situation - she made a very bad and sad decision!

Yes, the failed system contributed to her making the wrong decision but the system is not there to babysit everyone through life!

You have the ultimate responsibility for your actions, you are ultimately responsible for your own harm minimisation - no one else!

Its so easy to quantify how effective police dog are at events? You just tally up the confiscated goods!

But what about the unknown quantity of good that didn't come through the gates as a result of punters not taking the chance? How many drug related incidences/issues did this potentially avoid?

 

[maddyboy]

Um noo! I am simply disagreeing with everyone who is jumping up and down and directly blaming the police for the girls death!

OK You have put your incorrect opinion out there many times now. Thankyou, if the police werent there shed still be alive.