NEWS: News.com.au - 21/08/2005 'Four overdose on killer designer drug'

[hoptis]

Four overdose on killer designer drug
From: Sunday Mail (SA)
By Chris Pippos
August 21, 2005

A MAN has described how he walked into an inner-city Adelaide apartment early yesterday to see two of his friends unconscious after taking an overdose of the potentially deadly designer drug Fantasy.

He also described how others at the party were panicking and confused about how to deal with the crisis.

Four people - police say it was three men and one woman, all in their 20s - overdosed on the drug, which is also known as GHB.

"One of my mates was lying on the bed out cold and one of the girls was in the other room out cold," he said. "I heard they couldn't wake one of my mates up . . . the others all started being a bit funny (from taking the liquid drug)."

The incident happened in an apartment in the eight-storey luxury Parkland Tower complex, at the corner of Greenhill and Glen Osmond roads, Parkside.

Ten paramedics, called to the scene at 5.30am, worked to stabilise the two most seriously affected victims as their shocked friends looked on.

The four were rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital a short distance away.

Last night, two patients were in a critical condition in the intensive care unit.

Another was stable and the fourth was discharged yesterday morning.

The man told the Sunday Mail he was alerted to the situation after receiving a call about 3am from a worried friend in the apartment.

"They couldn't wake this guy up and one of the other girls, they couldn't wake her up, either," the man said.

"I think they just took too much.

"I wasn't there too long. I was there about 15 minutes. The ambos were on their way."

The man said he then left to pick up his girlfriend from an undisclosed location.

A police spokeswoman said officers searched the apartment and no more GHB was found.

She said ambulance crews were on the scene before police, who were contacted about 6am.

The overdoses - one of the most serious cases this year - prompted:

PROMINENT drug expert Dr David Caldicott to warn that drug users were turning to legal powerful industrial chemicals as substitutes to liquid Fantasy drug, GHB.

DETECTIVE Inspector Peter Giles, of Drug and Organised Crime Investigation Branch, to issue a general warning of the dangers of so-called party drugs.

SA AMBULANCE medical director Dr Hugh Grantham praised the efforts of paramedics.

The man who witnessed his mates "out cold" said he was shaken by the ordeal and also warned others to take care when taking illicit drugs.

"Everyone should be careful when they take things like that (Fantasy)," he said. "There's a fine line between having a good time and waking up critical."

Asked if he had taken drugs on Friday night or Saturday morning, he said: "I didn't have anything."

The drug, also known as Liquid E, Grievous Bodily Harm and G, speeds up the body's metabolism and creates a sense of euphoria, loss of inhibitions and can act as an aphrodisiac.

But it can also cause cardiac problems and muscle meltdown as well as suppressing breathing.

"The decision to call an ambulance earlier rather than later is often a life-saving decision," Dr Grantham said.

"Paramedics' first priority is to be non-judgmental and just deal with the medical conditions that present themselves.

"There is no such thing as a typical or normal medical reaction in these cases. Often the patient doesn't know what they took."

Dr Grantham commended the crews and their management of the four cases.

"The depth of education we give ambulance officers pays off in these circumstances," he said.

Det-Insp Giles said users had to be aware of bad drug batches.

"You don't know what you're receiving is (safe) from one batch to another," he said.

"The strength of the drug may vary and, as I have indicated on a number of occasions, there's all sorts of contaminants that can be involved with illegal drugs."

He said Fantasy "certainly has a reputation" for being fatal.

From News.com.au/Sunday Mail

 

[Pleonastic]

As much as I'm against the general idea of prohibition, GHB (and it's cousins) should never have been unleashed on the masses. Most people are too lazy/stupid to bother finding out how it works and what it does. You'll get away with that atitude with a lot of drugs, but G doesn't have a big enough margin of error for idiots to use it safely.

I remember years ago when drug dealers would refuse to sell you G until you'd sit down with them and get a 10 minute lecture about how it worked and how not to kill yourself. If that was still happening these days all these incidents would be prevented.

 

[Stuart]

A police spokeswoman said officers searched the apartment and no more GHB was found.

and that is why people sometimes die, because they do not call the ambulance.
They get very worried that the police will come, and if it is a few people; that will possibly have a few pills and a 8 ball on them, and the selfish (and sometimes very big and brutal dealers that may be on the scene or IN THE DEALERS HOUSE at the time someone may be in serious trouble) do not the police to stop by to ask questions and conduct a routine search that will lead the the conviction of several friends who just phoned the paramedics because i dunno.. they WANTED TO SAVE THERE FRIENDS LIFES!!!

and i know people are going to look at this post and say it's fucking stupid who the fuck would do that.. but when u live in the real world... and are off your heads you can sometimes care about your own ass than you're friends... (and yes my friends are lucky to know me)

I can recall recently at a dealers house, this guy started spasming having a small fit.. we were all worried, the dealer got up announced he would proceed to kill anyone who called an ambulance.. thankfully the guy was alright...

but it is very sad that people die because of other peoples selfishness...

and thank god the 4 people who overdosed on GBH did not die!

 

[on_the_rise_5]

When will people learn to research the drug before they take it, i can not see how i would put something into my body with out knowing the correct dosage or the effect that it would produce! It is a shame that people are ODing on GBH as it can be a very enjoyable drug when used correctly, and as a consequence of peoples ignorance GBH is gaining a name for itself as a drug that is basically just poison.

 

[chugs]

Four overdose on killer designer drug

I hate to nit-pick on these sorts of articles but um this "killer" drug killed no one described in the article.

I know it's possible to die from it but hey i could probably kill myself if i ate enough Pad-Thai chicken(imagine the headlines then, "Sydney man killed by dangerous Thai noodle dish).

 

[ayjay]

Curious that the only physical effect of GHB mentioned in the article is that it "speeds up your metabolism"?? Makes it sound like a diet drug - combine that with "loss of inhibitions" and "aphrodisiac" and it's virtually a commercial! Always a pity when journos drop the ball on factual reporting I don't necessarily have a problem with promoting drug use - but only when combined with factual, harm reduction information...

 

[Cyberdyne]

Wtf do they mean by muscle meltdown for that matter?

Im curious as to how people could be in intensive care for more than a few hours off GBH...surely the drug would have worn off and there would be no more harm being done? (braindamage from oxygen dep. perhaps?)

 

[notneo]

and that is why people sometimes die, because they do not call the ambulance.

It really isn't that hard to round up all your drugs get rid of them and get an ambulance on the scene. If you can't manage that then stop using drugs because they've obviously fried your brain.

Bit different in the case of your dealers house, but on the other hand if he doesnt have a plan incase shit happens then he hsouldnt let people use in his house.

 

[Faustus]

Muscle meltdown lol.

G naps rock but waking up in hospital would piss me off lol

 

[Cowboy Mac]

G naps rock ...

eh? Was there something I missed? An involuntary, temporary comotosed state isn't a 'nap', and they certainly aren't cool. 8(

 

[daveadelaide80]

It was just a minor overdose, no one really needed to go to hospital. 1 guy woke up in the apartment( actualy a hotel room) to 5 paramedics around him, he thought he was dreaming! The others were out cold but would have woke up and been fine if they were not taken to hospital. That said its a good thing the ambos were called, 2 people asleep from GHB and no one who knows to look after them is dangerous. Remeber GHB was first used by doctors to put people to sleep but its use was discontinued due to the fact people have a higher chance of vomiting after they wake up. So while they were passed out, in this particular incident there was no chance of anyone dying, though someone could have stolen a kidney or liver. I have not and will never take GHB due to its low margin of error. You could kill a mate, yourself and your girlfriend; all in one go

This incident also shows us that we all have a responsibilty to share what we know about GHB and its dangers to others and encourage others not to take it. Most people think it wont happen to them becouse they get it from the same person, or they trust their dealer or think their vetrens and know it all. But if u choose to use this drug please understand that their is a much higher chance of your mum burying you after your big weekend

 

[Faustus]

ummm were posts deleted off this thread?

 

[Cheshire Cat ^..^]

Posts get deleted for no reason all the time. It's quite annoying. They at least should provide the reasons.

 

[peaked]

Most of posts I've seen deleted have either been off topic, poor/dangerous advice, flames/slandering or just generally comments that add nothing to the discussion. For example, this comment right now is off topic, and should probably be deleted, as should the two above this. If your really that annoyed about a deleted post then you should PM the mods about it, instead of taking a normal discussion further off topic.

 

[phase_dancer]

Posts that are off topic or deemed to violate posting guidelines can be deleted. As a supermod, I personally don't have this ability.

My alterations are therefore presented as edits, usually with an accompanying explanation unless there's something really bad which is where I'll call for assistance. However, in defence of the hard working admins, deletions are not not done for reasons of spite, or personal distaste. They are done in order to comply with guidelines, or remove an offensive or out of place post.

 

[frog_e]

PROMINENT drug expert Dr David Caldicott to warn that drug users were turning to legal powerful industrial chemicals as substitutes to liquid Fantasy drug, GHB.

Did they mention in the article that it was infact GHB?

Maybe these people bought a industrial chemical substitute... in which case, no wonder they ended up in an emergency room....

What they fail to mention in these articles is that if it was legal, there would be more widespread education and quality control, and this kind of thing wouldn't be happening so much.

 

[eggman]

What they fail to mention in these articles is that if it was legal, there would be more widespread education and quality control, and this kind of thing wouldn't be happening so much.

... and thats the media for you. They are not into explaining the ins and outs of why these people oozed into an unconscious state and how these risks could be mitigated.

They are into selling newspapers and advertising space in newspapers. Advertisers generally don't like to be associated with pro-drug opinions.

 

[on_the_rise_5]

So did they use GHB or this industrial chemical substitute?

 

[Pleonastic]

I'd be willing to bet that's a reference to 1,4B. Which is what most people take as "GHB" anyway.

 

[deano]

Curious that the only physical effect of GHB mentioned in the article is that it "speeds up your metabolism"?? Makes it sound like a diet drug - combine that with "loss of inhibitions" and "aphrodisiac" and it's virtually a commercial! Always a pity when journos drop the ball on factual reporting I don't necessarily have a problem with promoting drug use - but only when combined with factual, harm reduction information...

At least this time they weren't calling it GBH... I really hate that

I'm guessing its GBL or 1,4-BD in this case.