A Current Affair - Speed Drinks?

While the media is busy attacking Ez-Testers over here in Melbourne they have a new target. A Current Affair just had a story (8/6/00) on an epidemic that has gripped Melbourne's nightclubs - Speed Drinks. The drinks being, V, Red Bull etc etc. The threat you ask? Well when combined with heavy dancing and dehydration these drinks will cause strokes and heart attacks.
They even interviewed and young clubber and asked him how many he had, his reply was two but his goal was four - cause he loves the "buzz" - I wonder if that was set up...mmmmm not the media never.
Evidence, research...well...I'm sure there was a stack of it, but I blinked at the wrong time and missed it.
So fear not fellow BL's the media has found a new evil attacking our society - Speed Drinks.
I've also heard through the rumour mill that Samboy Bbq flavoured chips are next on the list!!

The same old story -
Think about it - What is the media's aim?
To give the viewer an honest and fair representation of the issues most concerning them?
Or is it to cut corners, sensationalise and say whatever they need to in order that their channel gets good ratings?
Raving / Ecstacy / Clubs are a goldmine for the media because whatever they could possibly think up about it is going to appeal to all those parents out there who worry about their sons and daughters.
If they told the truth (they cant because they dont know it) then parents would mainly stop worrying and then there wouldnt be any more stories to tell.
And who's going to watch if there are no stories?

i caught that too, i thought it was informative... although i have read it here b4 (about dehydration on those drinks, thats why u only have a few over the course of a nite, and make sure u suppliment, the speed drink with ample water)
all the ppl there, were all setups, that 21 yr old guy in particular.!
also those guys + that chic that was dancing for the camera, and was drinking it @ the same time...
FUCK i hate the media!
Bester.
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Attack the Dance Floor like a Bulldozer, for those who came to stand MOVE OVER!

funny how the media forgets how to add those little thing like moderation and restoring lost fluids.
Instead of informing people that these drinks do carry possible risks if abused and that there are measures that can be taken to avoid fatal situation, it's all doom and gloom.
Fuck I hate the media!!!!!

Oh yeah, even by Current Affair's lame-ass standards, this was a shocker!!...I'm surprised they didn't ad Mike Moore's byline to the bottom of the story!...
One poor girl, with a pre-existing heart condition, has about 5 or so energy drinks, which brings on a heart attack which (one would have to admit) means she committed suicide, in effect. They interview a few doctors who say heaps of caffeine combined with a pre-exist like this CAN cause death, then interview the father who says "I have no doubt" (read: I also have no PROOF, but a Father's intuition gains quite some momentum when his daughter has died!)..."that these energy drinks caused my daughters death"....hmmmmmmm...hardly convincing evidence..
Sensationalist...irrational....very sad (for the girl and family)... I'll be having my usual 4 or 5 on Sunday, I assure you...
candyflip
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The latest Event info, Pill Tests and Club Listings, online: http://www.the-peak.com.au

I think I rolled on the floor laughing for a good five minutes after that one - "speed drinks"!!! hehehe I WISH it were that easy
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BoUnCe!!

Haven't tried this yet myself but apparently Vodka and RedBull gets you totally fucked up... quickly. From friends who have tried it sounds like they have had GHB (can think but their body doesn't do what they tell it )
Anyone know what colour the EZ Test will give for these so we can be careful (joking )

All hail King Munro!!! We're no worthy, we're not worthy!!!! A medal of honour he deserves for saving us from the evils of this world....hehehhee
[This message has been edited by haste (edited 09 June 2000).]

maybe next week we will see a story on ACA on that other Amber Fluid and how men are drinking 10-15 schooners(pots) and going home and bashing their wives and children.........
Oh yeah sorry that does not happen . V and Red Bull kill that's much more important !!!!!
[This message has been edited by Chill (edited 09 June 2000).]

Quoted as (get ready to laugh)
"Liquid Speed"
Really. What a joke.
Now there is some current affairs for you.
I fucken hate Mike Munroe. Fucken hate him.
Do you think he is the next Mike Moore?
Comes out with the big stories.
Copiuos amounts of laughter was had by all in my household
[This message has been edited by DuckMan (edited 09 June 2000).]

yeah i saw that too and thought it was totally weak.
and that guy that they chose to interview, he was a COMPLETE TOOL. i wanted to slap that stupid grin off his face.
as for you people who hate the media, i hope you all watch MEDIAWATCH - abc, 9.30, monday nite. it is a highly satisfying show and helps to vent some of the frustration you feel.
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"just pass the vibes on, and take it easy....

had to giggle at all the people they were filming, drinking it and dancing at the same time! what a bunch of morons.
so true, though. the media just goes on about how bad it is for you, but they don't mention ANYTHING about how to still drink it, and stay safe... ie. drinking water in between it, keeping yourself hydrated, etc. fucking stupid, typical crappy current affairs show.
heh.

I agree with Chill.
Why not have a story of how many THOUSANDS of people are killed each year due to alcohol? It is sooo much higher then how many die from most other drugs combined. But noooooo. Another Logie for Mr Munroe please. And did he give that "oh the youth of today. what a pimple of the face of australia they are." look?
Lets organise a BL meeting to fire-bomb his house.

Yeah the misinformation continues.
Its all fuct....... but (and this might piss some people off, and advanced apologies to those it does. But just try to remember that this is just an opinion)
I say let them attack the sugar drinks.
Let them attack anything that is a unnecessary accessory to our fun. The media seem determine to attack our scene, as it is something that the general public do not know a lot about and have a dim view of already. It a dream situation for them. They can get away with anything (until someone with in a position to be heard and listened to speaks some truth. Some unbiased truth)
So if they're attacking the sugar drinks this week at least they are leaving the important stuff alone.
Or are they simply dissecting the culture, minute piece by minute piece. Was there anything at the end of that story that said something like "next a blatant, unresearched attack on the dangers of whistle blowing. Why kids are passing out on *our* dance floors. (who's? dance floor belong to ppl who've seen them!) ummmm, that's what it would have sounded like if you read between the lines.
Ok my stance is changing about 6 lines ago.
We have to draw the line somewhere.
But what can we do?
Big props to jb, with his work on the West Australian thing. But we need a voice, and even then we need a voice that the general pubic will listen to.
But yeah fuck the drinks, they can kill the drinks. Anything to keep their attention from distorting the real issues
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ultimately, we just want to be happy

Entropope, I agree with you, let them kill the drinks, but I think you toched on a point that is very valid. The media is on an all out campaign to discredit the dance scene, and i think these speed drinks are just another con in their arsenal. Their aim I think is to discredit everything that goes on at dance partys, and the more the have the better their argument.
We do need a voice and we need a voice that will be heard. I think the answer might be in a collective.

vote #1 entropope!
let entropope be YOUR voice in parliament.
what you think? can it work?

hahahaha
yeah I'm just setting up my illegal radio station now.
Spread the word!
viva la Pump Up the Volume
I wasn't actually suggesting that I'm the person for the job. But thanks ever so anyways.
I'm not really in a position that I can use to make the community listen to me.
Collective voice?
Depends what you mean really.
We can't all just stand up together in parliament square and demand reconciliation. Heh they'd just see us a large group of drug abusers (drug and use don't come from their mouth in succession it seems)
No I mean we need someone like.... the Dr from St Vincents hospital in Darlinghurst, NSW. Dr Alex Wodak, Director of their Alcohol and Drug Service there wrote to the West Australian newspaper to defend the E-Z test kits against comments quoted by the paper in reference to the kits.
He's in a position to make qualified comments that some people will listen to.
Other people are needed on our side, like local and higher politicians, high profile police officers (yeah right, that'll happen). Perhaps most importantly, the media. (Praise to johnboy's recent efforts)
If we can get through to a few then maybe it'll snowball. Almost definetly it'll have some effect.
Right now, we are getting bashed by the media, the police force, customs (taking months to let E-Z test kits through), politicians.
And we are not getting a chance to put forward any form of defense.
The only voice coming from clubbers at the mo are selected comments basically contructed by the media. Thing like finding a clubber to quote "go hard or go home"
or "yeah i necked 5 pills tonight, I just love getting fucked off my tits!"
And this isn't really what those of us that use pills responsibly are all about is it.
I don't really have much to offer to this cause. I don't know anyone in public positions, and I have a hard time trying to get most public figures to listen to my views. Hopefully I'm getting better at putting across a decent arguement.
What I can offer is to encourage others to attempt to convey our voice, sensibly, intelligently and without bias. Then perhaps with many single voices, we can have a united voice. (and I think this is maybe what you meant, haste, by a collective voice?)
*considering changing signature to 'just call me Che'

*ahem*
let me make this a little more clear...
Is there anyone who is in a position to nab quality public attention, and get taken seriously?
If so, its maybe a good idea not to identify yourself, but pleeeeeaaaase take some action.

HAHAHAHA fuck the media makes me laugh, i could swear they are doing this for our ammusement! Why have drugs when you can grab some "speed drinks" from your nearest service station hahaahhahahaha
pffffft 2 them

One day we will be told that drinking water is evil because if you have too much you can kill yourself. SHHEEEESH! My friend almost died from eating chips that he did not know had fish oil in them, he is alergic to fish. What are we supposed to do, stop taking everything. But then again why do WE complain. If you have faith in your own moderation, and trust yourself with drugs, and you look out for your friends, and point out when they have taken too much "too much man, you took too much", then we can all rest easy and just enjoy the scene we are in. I have faith in us here, and myself, and I know when I went to hard, and learnt from that. I don't do shit again that makes me feel, pain, that is how we learn. Anyway, I just don't care about the media, I am a person who respects others, no matter what they do, who they are, my parents know I take drugs, I am the same person to them as I am to a my friends, I feel great that way, and I don't care what the media says if I know better, if I don't then I go out and learn. To me the people who cannot accept me taking drugs, don't have to accept me. I want to convince them otherwise, but it doesn't really matter what they think, in the end, I know we'll all be alright.