NEWS: Daily Telegraph - 13/03/09 'Ecstasy riddled with rat poison, other chemicals '

[lil angel15]

Ecstasy riddled with rat poison, other chemicals
By Brad Watts

March 13, 2009 12:00am

ECSTASY tablets are being laced with deadly chemicals, anaesthetics and crushed glass as drug dealers attempt to cut costs and swindle users, the Australian Federal Police warned yesterday.

In a major alert to parents, concerned police say teenagers are "dicing with death" and risking permanent brain damage by taking pills that could be up to 10 times stronger than regular ecstasy, commonly referred to as MDMA.

"One of the biggest problems with consuming tablets being sold as ecstasy is that you never know what you are actually taking, it is more like playing Russian roulette," AFP border and international manager Assistant Commissioner Tim Morris said.

During recent drug hauls, the AFP's illicit drug intelligence program has analysed tablets that have shown traces of various "adulterants" including heroin, LSD, rat poison, methamphetamine, veterinary anaesthetics and crushed glass.

Police said that while some ecstasy tablets look normal, the branding on pills must not be mistaken as some sort of "quality assurance" and a spokesman said users were "dicing with death" by taking the "deadly" pills.

The latest Federal Government statistics estimated that of the 600,000 users of ecstasy in Australia, 8.3 per cent have used the drug at least once a week.

Among 14- to 19-year-old users 17.3 per cent used ecstasy - which experts say is growing in popularity compared with other illicit drugs - at least once a week.

Recent government statistics also show that over 1.5 million had used ecstasy in their life and males were more likely than females to have used ecstasy.

Police say deadly chemicals, including poisons, are being mixed into "impure" ecstasy pills sold by dealers, including MDA, PMA, PMMA and 2CB, which has "hallucinogenic effects".

Illicit drugs expert Paul Dillon, from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia, said ecstasy is becoming cheaper on the streets, retailing for between $20 and $35, and has become known as a "notoriously impure drug".

"Drug users don't care that it's not being called ecstasy any more as long as they are flying," Mr Dillon said. "They don't call it (ecstasy), they say, 'I'm going to take some pills'."

He said all these toxic chemicals have a similar damaging effect on the brain, with PMA being the most notorious impurity.

It has killed dozens of young people from overdoses over the past decade.

A more alarming trend highlighted by Mr Dillon was that other illicit drugs were "going down" in popularity, while ecstasy "is bucking the trend".

"We need to start looking at ways of dealing with it more effectively, especially as it's getting cheaper and is of poor quality," he said, warning parents and drug users to be "extremely careful".

Daily Telegraph

 

[SeveredPsyche]

NEWS: NineMSN - 13/03/09 'Ecstasy laced with rat poison, glass'

Ecstasy laced with rat poison, glass
08:00 AEST Fri Mar 13 2009
2 hours 42 minutes ago
By ninemsn staff

Drug dealers are lacing ecstasy pills with rat poison and crushed glass in an attempt to cut costs, the Australian Federal Police has warned.

Concerned police say teenagers are risking permanent damage by taking pills up to 10 times stronger than normal ecstasy, the Daily Telegraph reports.

The AFP's border and international manager Assistant Commissioner Tim Morris said one of the biggest problems was that the consumer never knows what they are going to get.

"It is more like playing Russian roulette," Assistant Commissioner Morris told the Telegraph.

Tablets put under analysis after recent drug hauls by the AFP have found traces of heroin, LSD, rat poison, methamphetamine, anaesthetics and even crushed glass.

Federal Government statistics show that out of the 600,000 Australian ecstasy users, 8.3 percent had used the drug in the past week, while 17.3 percent of youths aged 14-19 had used ecstasy at least once a week.

The statistics show more than 1.5 million Australians had used ecstasy at least once in their lifetime and males were more likely to use the drug than females.

Paul Dillon, from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia, said ecstasy was becoming cheaper and notoriously known as an "impure drug".

Mr Dillon said users did not care what name the drug was given "as long as they are flying".

"We need to start looking at ways of dealing with it more effectively, especially as it's getting cheaper and is of poor quality," Mr Dillon told the Telegraph.

Nine MSN

 

[jenkem]

Did the AFP happen to mention exactly which pills contain such things?

No?

I didn't think so.

 

[headdah]

dozens of over doses over the decade eh, how bout deaths caused by drunk rowdy violent peoples ? how bout death caused by people drinking too much booze? how bout rapes that happend cuz the chick was too intoxicated?

fuck you gov!

 

[poison39]

Wow... I am actually offended by the amount of shit in that story. Its straight up (i never thought i'd use this word seriously) propaganda! I would really like to see the research that backs up this crap.....

 

[malakaix]

I find it interesting that they mention 'well known drugs' as adulterants in ecstasy pills.. but they fail to mention chemicals such as PMA and mainly piperazines which are flooding the market at the moment and more then likely are the culprits in many ecstasy related incidents.

This just re-enforces that whats said is more or less propaganda and the public can relate to drugs they know of. I mean heroin in pills.. do some research.. 8)

I wish they'd reference (MDMA) next to the word ecstasy every time they mention it.. because this article is so riddled with 'bullshit'.

 

[alfisti72]

The daily terror does it again...

its not even believable fantasy

grrr

 

[my innerself]

"In a major alert to parents, concerned police say teenagers are "dicing with death" and risking permanent brain damage by taking pills that could be up to 10 times stronger than regular ecstasy, commonly referred to as MDMA."

Ok for starters

1) Why is the alert to parents and not the users? that comment is just plain stupid on so many levels. Obviously targeting adults who dont use ecstacy and are very uneduacted when it comes to drugs. Scare mongering to the people.

2) Pills that are 10 times stronger then regular ecstacy? huh...I wish. So lets say an average pill is about 40-50 mgs MDMA that would make the MDMA content of the pill roughly 400-500mgs per pill, not taking into account the fillers (rat poisen and glass...hehehehehe) plus the binders, we would have pills weighing close to a gram per pill.

Im mean seriously, how can we the public have any faith in the australian law enforcement and media when they report shit like this?

........................................................................................................................................................

"Drug users don't care that it's not being called ecstasy any more as long as they are flying," Mr Dillon said. "They don't call it (ecstasy), they say, 'I'm going to take some pills'."

Doesn't Mr Dillon realise that refering to ecstacy as "pills" is just a slang term? And this guy is supposed to be a drugs expert???? WTF????

........................................................................................................................................................

"ECSTASY tablets are being laced with deadly chemicals, anaesthetics and crushed glass as drug dealers attempt to cut costs and swindle users"

So to cut costs they are filling their pills with rat poisen, anaesthetics (Im assuming Ketamine) and crushed glass? In stead of say suger, flour, chalk and other inert powders which are ALOT cheaper?.....BULLSHIT!!!

........................................................................................................................................................

So why is the ecstacy scene getting like this??? The cops have to wear alot of the responsibility here. There the ones making it so MDMA (which is alot safer then most other drugs being pressed into pills) is less prevelent in pills and making the pressers resort to including alot more impurities.

 

[my innerself]

And just another point I would like to make. I've heard the story about pills with glass and rat poisen in them several times in the past, going back several years. If you google "ecstacy pill rat poisen glass" and go back a few years you will see several articles like the ones above. Do they have a policy of regurgitating old bullshit fear tactic stories once every year or couple of years? Where is their proof? where is the evidence? and where is the harm minimisation if it were true? They are just stereotyping the whole pill scene which is utter bullshit.

 

[static_mind]

Id really like to see the reports which show that pills have been found to contain glass, heroin and rat posion and if they are true how on earth the AFP thought it was a good idea not to release details.

Ecstasy is known to be impure but those 3 adulterants are the sterotypical substances commonly thrown about as myths. Doesn't mean its not true. Can you get this infomation through a Freedom of Infomation form?

 

[Jakeperson]

Ecstasy pills up to 10 times stronger?
Might I ask where the hell the Gov got them and why I didn't.

 

[SeveredPsyche]

I mean heroin in pills..

I did wonder about that. They don't give any details so I'm just guessing, but possibly heroin was detected because the pills were in contact with people, equipment, baggies etc. which have also been in contact with other drugs.

What exactly do they mean by "rat poison" for that matter? Are they referring to a particular brand or particular chemical found in some rat poisions?

 

[Doctor War]

Id really like to see the reports which show that pills have been found to contain glass, heroin and rat posion and if they are true how on earth the AFP thought it was a good idea not to release details.

Ecstasy is known to be impure but those 3 adulterants are the sterotypical substances commonly thrown about as myths. Doesn't mean its not true. Can you get this infomation through a Freedom of Infomation form?

I've seen heroin once or twice; but never actual glass or rat poison. It jsut wouldn't make any kind of business sense. Even if you are the kind of low-life fuckwit who will shove out five hundred thousands little round chunks of meth and ketamine, you wouldn't kill your customers by loading them up with poison or glass, not when they were so willing to buy your inferior product anyway - If you don't want to put MDMA in pills, nobody's going to put glass in 'em, they'll put chalk or pips or sand or speed or fucking basil if they want to; but nobody would shit on their cash cow like that by trying to kill their punters...

 

[KyesaRRi]

I did wonder about that. They don't give any details so I'm just guessing, but possibly heroin was detected because the pills were in contact with people, equipment, baggies etc. which have also been in contact with other drugs.

What exactly do they mean by "rat poison" for that matter? Are they referring to a particular brand or particular chemical found in some rat poisions?

Id say the rat poison is the same myth that also hangs around LSD.

 

[picadore]

Here is some statistics- Just have a look on ecstasy data.

Of the 1675 or so reports ranging from May 1996- Jan 2009

There has been

1 report with a pill containing heroin.

None with LSD

None with glass

None with rat poison

2 with PMA

And if the AFP have info to prove other wise why don't the back up there claim with some evidence.

And to say.

In a major alert to parents, concerned police say teenagers are "dicing with death" and risking permanent brain damage by taking pills that could be up to 10 times stronger than regular ecstasy, commonly referred to as MDMA.

But then say.

Illicit drugs expert Paul Dillon, from Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia, said ecstasy is becoming cheaper on the streets, retailing for between $20 and $35, and has become known as a "notoriously impure drug".

Is pretty bad journalism.

Fare enough it is a black market but the people involved in it still have to make money, so why on earth would they practically give away the drug or lace it with "poison" doesn't make sense to me!

 

[lostNfound]

Brad Watts is nothing more than a moron, for writing such horse shit. Wouldn't mind seeing his research notes and having a sit down with the editor either. 8)

 

[my innerself]

^^^
Im sure if you sat down with the editor and laid out all the facts and squashed all the bullshit and half truths the editor would still be inclined to print the bogus and bullshit story. In this particular case the truth would sell less newspapers.

 

[Verybuffed]

Doesn't this exact story come around every couple of years?

I am waiting for "the amount of LSD that is required to be an active dose would make the pill 5 times bigger than a regular pill" then cue the Bermuda Triangles arguement.

 

[Slyfox]

As for the whole 'rat poison' in pills, i think its a case of how the MDMA is synthed. Im sure theres plenty of dangerous household chemicals that get used in the making of MDMA due to the fact that the cleaner, safer precursors are illegal and much harder to get.

Even though these dangerous chemicals may be used in the manufacturing, it does not mean its in the final product however.

Theres probably plenty of products where dangerous chemicals were used in the making but arent in the final product that get served up onto a plate for us to eat. It doesnt stop us eating it though.

 

[SeveredPsyche]

AFP stories from Sydney, 2000 and Perth, 2000 mention rat poison and glass. The information is from "overseas":

Advice from overseas indicates that, purely for profit, producers are lacing ecstasy with stomach-bleeders such as powdered glass or rat poison to give a quick and strong effect from pills with a lower production cost.

Recent seizures overseas indicate that ecstasy has been contaminated with ingredients such as rat poison, powdered glass and other substances.

Manufacturers mix these lethal cocktails because they often induce bleeding in the lining of the stomach in an effort to get the drug into the blood stream faster.

Andrea Close - ABC 666 Interview with Commander Shane Connelly, Deputy Chief Police Officer, ACT

Familiar stuff.