NEWS: Push to test nightclub ecstasy (The Age)

The Age, 21 August 2004, journalist Marc Moncrief

Push to test nightclub ecstasy

Doctors involved in a controversial South Australian study that monitored the quality of the party drug ecstasy are pushing to expand the pill-testing scheme into Melbourne nightclubs.

The study's author, David Caldicott, said the research suggested that, contrary to popular opinion, many potential drug users might be dissuaded from taking pills if they were told exactly what was in them.

Dr Caldicott, a research fellow at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, said research showed that ecstasy in Australia was some of the least pure in the world. He said 25 per cent of ecstasy pills tested on the night of his Adelaide survey contained ketamine, an anaesthetic with hallucinogenic properties.

This week Dr Caldicott met government and police representatives at a Drug Prevention Conference in Melbourne and urged them to allow him to reproduce the study in Melbourne, arguing that it could save lives. "More people will die than will be saved if we go down the road they're going down now," he told The Age.

He said the study showed that government policy on party-drug testing might be based on a false premise. "The hypothesis has always been - particularly by police and more right-wing elements of government - that all of them (club-goers) would just take their pill anyway," Dr Caldicott said.

But his research, in which he surveyed 235 people, found that only 17 per cent said they would take a pill if they found that it contained substances they did not expect. Others would consider alternatives including splitting the pill with others (17 per cent) or consulting friends (19.6 per cent). But the largest group (26.3 per cent) would bin the pill. Dr Caldicott said testing could lead to a reduction in pill taking if implemented on a wider scale.

The Victorian Government has consistently rejected the idea of pill testing. A spokesman for Victorian Health Minister Bronwyn Pike, Ben Hart, said: "There is a strong view that people who take ecstasy at raves and nightclubs are very aware that the pill they are taking will have a range of substances in it. "We don't believe it's going to shift a whole lot of people's behaviour about taking drugs."

Cameron Duff, a researcher at the Australian Drug Foundation, said Dr Caldicott's research was vital, but could easily be mistaken as little more than a "quality control" project for users.

Dr Duff, the head researcher of a study involving 380 patrons of Melbourne nightclubs completed in May, said that more than half who were surveyed had tried ecstasy, cocaine, speed or ice. Ecstasy had been tried by 40 per cent of the sample, and the same proportion had tried cannabis. Almost as many had tried speed, 30 per cent had used cocaine and almost 20 per cent had used ketamine.

Link to story

my comments - go enlighten

Tronica said:

...Ben Hart, said: "There is a strong view that people who take ecstasy at raves and nightclubs are very aware that the pill they are taking will have a range of substances in it. "We don't believe it's going to shift a whole lot of people's behaviour about taking drugs."

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Ignorance. 8(

At least now there are some people who are gaining high enough profiles that some real change might happen

Thanks Tronica. And yes, go Enlighten and the good Doctor Platypus. We are seeing the very 1st inklings of a change in thinking. Paradigm shifts are usually very slow, but I have hope that it may actually happen.

As an enlighten tester I have seen on two occasions a pill with a nill result (i.e. clear) throw the pill away, even more said that they wouldn't consume it. Even if its just these few people who make the choice then its worth while if its more even better.

Has the angle that its in the best interest of police to allow pill testing so long as all data filters back to them? It would allow them to get a much better idea of distribution chains and pill contents.

I read an artical recently about the police pill database and the finding from it. I had already known pretty much everything in the report from simply being exposed to the pill scene. I think that authorities need to realise that users are a key source of information and vital signs regarding potentialy dangerous changes in the drug trade in regards to substance availability and dangerous adulterant. Hell the authorities wouldn't know a possibly bad pill is going around until someone dies and the medical staff have to notify them! If they talked to users they could easyly get this information earlier.

I know this is not necesarily good news for the community here but surely it would make them consider it more seriously.

It may not seem like Enlighten is making much progress publicly, but behind the scenes we are progressing in leaps due to the partnership established with drplatypus. By the end of this year a major milestone should have been achieved. A proper update when we can.

I'm constantly impressed by the efforts put in and the progress being made by enlighten and others who are pressing forward and making things happen in the pill testing world.

A spokesman for Victorian Health Minister Bronwyn Pike, Ben Hart, said: "There is a strong view that people who take ecstasy at raves and nightclubs are very aware that the pill they are taking will have a range of substances in it. "We don't believe it's going to shift a whole lot of people's behaviour about taking drugs."

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Its comments like that that prove that the government arent even TRYING to listen to the research that has been done. Ecstasy users *are* aware that there could be other substances in their pills but its not like they *want* them there. If a pill is tested and it comes up with a substance other than MDxx, then at least the owner of the pill knows that if they choose to take the pill they are going to get the effects of K or meth or something else thats *not* MDxx. That information in itself is reason enough to continue testing.

The government are never going to be able to stop people taking drugs. So the least they could do is allow for 'quality control' to be implimented. Trying to save lives doesnt necessarily mean you're giving up on the fight to ultimately stop the use of a drug.

Its early days so resistance is expected. I'm just glad we are now seeing these issues discussed. As always a very huge thanks to David and his team in SA.

stace.

Progress comes in small doses. Im glad to see movement on this topic & that people are still working hard to change things.

Quote STACYROX :Its comments like that that prove that the government arent even TRYING to listen to the research that has been done. Ecstasy users *are* aware that there could be other substances in their pills but its not like they *want* them there. If a pill is tested and it comes up with a substance other than MDxx, then at least the owner of the pill knows that if they choose to take the pill they are going to get the effects of K or meth or something else thats *not* MDxx. That information in itself is reason enough to continue testing.

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^^^ Darn Tootin !!!!



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A spokesman for Victorian Health Minister Bronwyn Pike, Ben Hart, said: "There is a strong view that people who take ecstasy at raves and nightclubs are very aware that the pill they are taking will have a range of substances in it. "We don't believe it's going to shift a whole lot of people's behaviour about taking drugs."
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Its sad to think these people are paid to act in our {the publics} best intrests and instead choose to stick their head in the sand and discount all drug users as dumb cunce.

Do they realy believe that if the contents of specific pills were made available for people to make an informed decision on what they were taking that the majority of users would choose to take adulterated/shonkey pills.

To me its almost like they are saying "IF your silly enough to take drugs, you get what you deserve"

Thank christ there are some dedicated people working on this issue who can hopefully slap some sense into these govt agencies.


How long has the Anti drug propaganda machine droned on with the "You never know whats in a pill" Well Phucking tell us and then we will know !



Mr Man%)

three cheers for platypus and the enlighten crew

it's excelent to hear that things are moving towards a better safer future.

:D

great news. its good to see things like this in the media.

good on ya enlighten and co.!

Its a shame to say but we need a large group of people dying to a few easily detected batches of pills to lend a whole lot more credence

Baby steps are infact huge steps when it comes to this issue.
Enlighten has come a long way in the short time that the group has been operating and it seems now with outside help things are only going to get better.

We know that the rave community appreciates enlighten being there, but now we just have to convince "others".

Many thanks to Dr Platypus, his help and encouragement has made all the difference

Soma said:

Its a shame to say but we need a large group of people dying to a few easily detected batches of pills to lend a whole lot more credence

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And sadly (I hope not though) that will be the way that lab-testing will come into practice. Someone will die and the media shitstorm will be in full swing again. I hope it doesnt come to that situation.

I put all my trust in Enlighten, I think that they must be making some real progress lately. All I can say is we need to give them our suport as they are investing large amounts of their own time and money to make change come about.
Enlighten benfit party maybe?

I don't think people dying would help with the introduction to lab testing. If anything it would have the opposite effect. People shouldn't be taking this deadly ecstacy, they'll say. There will also be a public/media outcry to increase punishment and stupid shit like that.

I believe that less people getting sick from bunk pills (enlighten testing) will show that there is room for lab GCMS testing to be implemented.

Yes I can see your point of view Psychadelic_Paisly, I must admit mine is a pretty bleak view. I think it all depends on the political climate of the time and the hard work done by groups such as enlighten.

widepread Testing of pills can only be a good thing. Apart from the obvious short term benifits i.e bad pills are not consumed. It will also mean an increase in the quality of pills in the future. As more pills are tested users will become aware of who the dodgy dealers/suppliers are. These dealers/suppliers will then be forced to increase the quality of the pills they sell/supply or risk gaining a bad reputation and lose all their business.

In the long run this will result in cleaner and much safer pills.