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NEWS - Overdoses low at Melbourne dance party - 14/3/05

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its_all_goog

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Two Tribes incidents- Media portrayal

Hey all, just wondering about people's take on the media coverage of the couple of overdoses at last night's event....

So far, I've seen two completely opposing approaches: one from Melbourne's two major papers (Age, Herald Sun), and one from Fox News.
linky link to age/sun article (it's the same in both papers, as it was written by AAP)

This article is surprisingly responsible and even-handed. It even seems like parts of the article are advocating a more realistic approach toward drug use, in a kind of indirect way. What disappoints me is the way in which the article gives no credit to the attendees of the rave themselves, instead showering praise on a few cops, beagles and labradors.

If anyone's awake yet, compare this article to Murdoch's boys at Fox and you'll see a pretty deplorable piece of scare-mongering.
Anyone seen/read much else?
 
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Increased security and police sniffer dogs appeared to have had the required effect in reducing drug use at the party.
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This whole article implies that GHB overdoses were being targetted due "to the 20 or so we transported out of there last year".

I wasn't aware that sniffer dogs could detect GHB. Whilst the article was written in a vary balanced manner, once again the Police Service is just showing they've no idea what they are talking about.
 
Oops. Maybe I should have read the article properly.
 
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peaked said:
I dont think they should be comparing the adelaide event with the melbourne one in terms of overdoses though, ghb (or 1,4b) has undoubtedly far more users in melb than in adelaide.
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Where's the referrence to Adelaide?
 
2 tribes - cops and sniffer dogs

saw news clips on the news of folks being sniffed, and cops frisking people before entering the rod laver arena - any personal experiences any one wants to share?

was everyone being subject to checks, or was it random? or was it only if you had fluffy toys on ur rave pants and glo-sticks in ur shoes? :)

hope you had a safe fun time anyway!

- santanzi
 
well in my time there i saw wat.. 3 cops no dogs at all.. im not sayin they werent there but yeh there wasnt that much hubub fucking awesome time tho
 
Overdoses low at Melbourne dance party
17:56 AEDT Mon Mar 14 2005

The Melbourne ambulance service has praised the organisers of a major dance party after only three of about 10,000 revellers were treated for drug overdoses.

At the same event last year, ambulance officers treated 10 people who overdosed on the drug GHB, colloquially known as grievous bodily harm or fantasy.

One man in his early-20s suffered a respiratory arrest and is in intensive care in hospital after a suspected overdose on GHB, or Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate, at the Two Tribes party at Melbourne Park.

Ambulance spokesman Paul Holman said seven people received medical treatment in total, but four of those were for existing medical conditions.

Ambulance paramedics had been on hand in expectation of a repeat of last year's overdoses.

Increased security and police sniffer dogs appeared to have had the required effect in reducing drug use at the party.

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"From our point of view, this is a pretty good outcome compared to the 20 or so we transported out of there last year," Mr Holman said.

"The organisers put in a pretty good effort to make sure there's proper medical care and policing and security and for a huge event like this, having three overdoses is a good outcome."

Mr Holman said the reduction in overdoses demonstrated how a co-operative approach to safer dance parties was working.

One of the three overdoses was serious, and the victim is in intensive care in The Alfred hospital.

Mr Holman said the man had displayed all the symptoms of having taken GHB, a cheap and popular rave party drug that rapidly effects the central nervous system, but varies in power and quality.

Police had warned they would be out in force to prevent a repeat of last year's overdoses, with two sniffer dogs placed patrolling outside the venue.
 
I actually found this article not too bad, I was actually pleased that they commented on how organisers are pushing harm minimisation and are looking at raves in a less negative way. I guess it doesnt really affect me much anymore, I just wish that they thought more accepting and realised they should focus on minimising the harm that drugs cause to people than trying to abolish drug use all together.. which I think is pretty much impossible.
 
it's good to see on the news last night the dogs in action, they grabbed a fair few people. Then they showed some people leaving the venue absolutely fucked up, unable to hold themselves up.
 
I like how the 2004 two tribes toll has been increased to "about 20". I remember it reported as 11 last year.

Still I'm glad there were less, rather than more GHB OD's this year. I highly doubt this was anything to do with introducing sniffer dogs, but better less OD's than more OD's ...
 
InSoMnIa^ said:
Overdoses low at Melbourne dance party
17:56 AEDT Mon Mar 14 2005
Increased security and police sniffer dogs appeared to have had the required effect in reducing drug use at the party.
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love how they snuck this little one in there
 
Maybe the reduced number of OD's was because of people educating themselves about the drug, and using their own harm reduction strategies?

No wait..that can't be it.

It must be the arrests, fines and sniffer dogs..8)
 
I didn't go but in the Herals Sun today it says more than 18,000 people attened. 46 people were charged with possessing illicit substances including speed, extacy and Marijuana and 3 people charged with dealing speed and extacy.

I'm not sure if this justifies the hype that was surrounded to this event.

I like one comment in the same article where "Mark" was caught in possession of 2 extacy tablets and said he'd take the risk again. "Mark" said he was relieved police only caught him with only a couple of pills but missed a much larger stash of LSD that he sneaked into the party.
 
Two articles in today's papers, both reporting the facts (i.e. numbers caught, overdosed, etc.) but offering different perspectives on the party.

Party police sniff out drug ravers
Liam Houlihan and Holly Ife
15 Mar 2005

RAVERS have thumbed their noses at authorities despite a police crackdown that caught dozens of drug-takers at a weekend dance party.

Police using sniffer dogs charged 46 people with possessing illicit drugs, including speed, ecstasy and marijuana, at the Two Tribes event at Rod Laver Arena.

Three others were charged with dealing ecstasy and speed.

Most of those charged were ordered to have drug counselling instead of potentially facing a criminal conviction.

But ravers at a "recovery" dance party who spoke to the Herald Sun laughed at the cautions and said they would continue taking drugs to dance parties.

Three people overdosed at the Two Tribes event, which attracted a crowd of more than 18,000.

A 22-year-old man was revived by paramedics after he stopped breathing. He spent several hours on life support at the Alfred hospital before he was discharged yesterday.

All three were believed to have taken the drug GHB, which put 10 people in hospital after last year's Two Tribes party.

About 40 police and two sniffer dogs patrolled the venue until 5.30am yesterday. Security guards checked those queuing to enter. There was no random drug testing.

Ravers at the dance party, which stretched over Sunday night and yesterday morning, said it was awash with drugs.

There was ecstasy, speed, GHB, ketamine, and "lots of cocaine" inside the grounds of Melbourne Park, they said.

"Mark" was caught in possession of two ecstasy tablets and said he would take the risk again.

Mark said he was relieved police caught him with only a couple of pills, but missed a much larger stash of LSD that he sneaked into the party.

Several partygoers said they didn't bother trying to sneak in drugs and took the risk they would not be checked.

"The dogs scared away some people, but there could have been as many as a couple of thousand people dealing inside," one raver said.

Paramedics hailed the event as a success and congratulated promoters and the crowd on avoiding a repeat of last year's overdose mayhem.

But Opposition Leader Robert Doyle said there was still a culture of drugs at rave parties that had to be stopped.

Superintendent Mick Williams said a large part of police time at the event was spent processing suspects.

Supt Williams said event organisers had done everything possible to run things safely.

"The responsibility (for taking drugs) lies with the individual," he said.

Supt Williams said the crowd generally behaved well and he was pleased by the apparent reduction in GHB use.

Those found in possession of non-trafficable amounts of drugs were given a cannabis caution or drug diversion notice, requiring them to admit to the offence and have drug counselling.

Jason Ayoubi, of Two Tribes promoters Future Entertainment, said the three overdoses were disturbing.

"We would agree with the police that even one overdose would be too many," he said.

But Metropolitan Ambulance spokesman Paul Holman congratulated him for improving safety.

"The organisers put in a pretty good effort to make sure there's proper medical care and policing and security . . . to have only three overdoses is testament to a lot of people working together," he said.
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From Herald Sun

50 arrests at Two Tribes dance party
By Andrea Petrie
March 15, 2005

Three people were treated for drug overdoses and almost 50 arrested during a dance party in Melbourne over the Labour Day long weekend.

But paramedics and police have praised event organisers and revellers for a marked improvement on previous years.

More than 18,000 people attended the Two Tribes dance party at Rod Laver Arena from 8pm on Sunday to 7am yesterday to see headline act The Prodigy and popular DJs including Armand Van Helden and Grandmaster Flash.

Metropolitan Ambulance Service operations manager Paul Holman said that while three people were treated for overdosing on GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), it was an improvement on last year when 10 people were treated.

Mr Holman said seven people received medical treatment, but four were for existing medical conditions.

"Considering the disasters we've had at these sorts of events in past years, this just shows what you can achieve when you've got promoters, event organisers, venue management, the police, the Government and the ambulance service working together," Mr Holman said.

Police confirmed yesterday that 49 people were arrested at the event - 43 for possessing drugs. Superintendent Mick Williams said they would undergo a diversion program for first-time offenders where no conviction would be recorded provided they attended drug counselling.

Three other people were charged with trafficking drugs, one for being drunk, another for unlawful assault and one man was charged with possessing drugs and failed to meet the diversion criteria.

Superintendent Williams said more than 40 police patrolled the event, along with two dogs that checked people outside the arena for drugs.

Two Tribes organiser, Future Entertainment director Jason Ayoubi, said a lot of work had been done to improve the event's image after last year, including having an ambulance commander on site, more medical provisions and a campaign highlighting the dangers of GHB.
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From The Age

What I saw on the night:
  • Getting there around 8.30pm, there were police all over the entrance/box office area with news crews from all the major networks. I saw police searching a few poor bastards very thoroughly, all wearing gloves.
  • Just as I got to the front of the line I saw a group of about four police come past the end of the queue, with one young man in custody and one of the cops had a dog on leash.
  • Searches by security upon entrance seemed a lot more thorough then previous years, though the searches weren't drug specific.
  • Keith Flint of the Prodigy saying "We heard a lot of people got busted getting in tonight, and we think that sucks"... or something like that.
  • A large baggy containing instant coffee powder ripped open and spilled on the floor in the toilets... (hopefully meaning most people were smart enough to hide their stuff).
  • A lot of people off their tits and having a good time =D
 
46 charges of possession + 3 charges of possession with intent to supply... and that's after it was made known in all major news services that there would definitely be sniffer dogs present. How many would they have got if the dogs had been a surprise addition to the night, or had they had time to search more people...?

BigTrancer :)
 
Two tribes police arrests

Hi people just talking about the 40 or so people that were arrested for possesing drugs at two tribes rave on the weekend it makes me fucking sick!. Why the fuck are police wasteing their resources on somthing they just cannot stop. There were about 18,000 people rolling balls at two tribes so why arrest 40? i think more appropriately they should at least confiscate the drugs and fair enough if someone is bringing in a trafficable amount they should be charged but innocent people just out to have a good time? its just so stupid.

The police are trialing a new thing where the people dont get charged for possesion as long as they go to regular meetings with a psychologist, what difference would a psycologist do? i see a psycologist about once a month or two and i tell her about how i love to rave ocasionally and take a couple and she agree's with me about responsible drug use ect.. and belive that if you are smart with the substance it can be better than some legal drugs ect.... Police are doing more bad than good in this instance and its just not right.
 
Re: Two tribes police arrests

bikki_muncher69 said:
Police are doing more bad than good in this instance and its just not right.
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Some folks are far too overt in their drug use etc and frankly deserve to be smacked across the legs.
I think the statistics speak volumes i.e. 18k people and 40 arrests.
 
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