Girl dies after Big Day Out overdose
A 17-year-old girl admitted to hospital after a suspected drug overdose at yesterday's Big Day Out concert in Perth has died overnight.
A friend of the family told 6PR Radio that the girl took three ecstasy tablets before entering the festival's gates after she spotted police searching people for drugs.
The witness said the girl then went on a ride with friends when she began to shake and her lips turned blue.
Within moments she collapsed and was taken to hospital, where she died early this morning.
Police confirmed the girl had taken a number of pills before entering the event, which was held in 36-degree heat and humidity.
It is understood she was treated for a suspected ecstasy overdose at a first-aid post before being taken to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
The Police Major Crime Squad and Organised Crime Squad are investigating the source of the drugs to see if charges should be laid.
The cause of girl's death is yet to be confirmed by a post-mortem examination.
Police with sniffer dogs laid about 60 charges for drug-related offences at the Showgrounds train station, targeting festivalgoers yesterday.
They charged 55 people with possession, three people with intent to sell or supply, and four with possessing smoking implements.
Drugs seized included ecstasy, methamphetamine, cannabis and dexamphetamine.
Another 32 people were charged with liquor infringements and six people were charged with disorderly conduct.
Steve Allsop, from the National Drug Research Institute, said taking any pill was a gamble.
"One of the risks is that people don't know what it is they're taking. What they were taking one week will vary the next week. The problem with a drug such as ecstasy is that people are lulled into a false sense of security about what they're taking," he said.
"Some people are also more vulnerable to the risks than others. Some people react with more adverse reactions than others and they don't find out until it's too late.
"It can cause cardiac problems, such as irregular heartbeats and increased blood pressure and can lead to a possible stroke for those who are already vulnerable.
"Ecstasy also interferes with the regulation of our body temperature. There is an increased vulnerability to dehydration and in 38- to 40-degree heat a person can go into a coma or in some cases people can die.
"Ecstasy related deaths are often in hot environments where the body can't cool down. So if a person's normal temperature is 38.5 degrees, a person who is unwell has a temperature of 40 degrees and in some of these cases their temperature is 43 to 44 degrees.
He recommended that friends not hesitate to call for help if a friend showed any signs of being adversely affected by drugs.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national...-at-big-day-out/2009/02/02/1233423112027.html
A 17-year-old girl admitted to hospital after a suspected drug overdose at yesterday's Big Day Out concert in Perth has died overnight.
A friend of the family told 6PR Radio that the girl took three ecstasy tablets before entering the festival's gates after she spotted police searching people for drugs.
The witness said the girl then went on a ride with friends when she began to shake and her lips turned blue.
Within moments she collapsed and was taken to hospital, where she died early this morning.
Police confirmed the girl had taken a number of pills before entering the event, which was held in 36-degree heat and humidity.
It is understood she was treated for a suspected ecstasy overdose at a first-aid post before being taken to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
The Police Major Crime Squad and Organised Crime Squad are investigating the source of the drugs to see if charges should be laid.
The cause of girl's death is yet to be confirmed by a post-mortem examination.
Police with sniffer dogs laid about 60 charges for drug-related offences at the Showgrounds train station, targeting festivalgoers yesterday.
They charged 55 people with possession, three people with intent to sell or supply, and four with possessing smoking implements.
Drugs seized included ecstasy, methamphetamine, cannabis and dexamphetamine.
Another 32 people were charged with liquor infringements and six people were charged with disorderly conduct.
Steve Allsop, from the National Drug Research Institute, said taking any pill was a gamble.
"One of the risks is that people don't know what it is they're taking. What they were taking one week will vary the next week. The problem with a drug such as ecstasy is that people are lulled into a false sense of security about what they're taking," he said.
"Some people are also more vulnerable to the risks than others. Some people react with more adverse reactions than others and they don't find out until it's too late.
"It can cause cardiac problems, such as irregular heartbeats and increased blood pressure and can lead to a possible stroke for those who are already vulnerable.
"Ecstasy also interferes with the regulation of our body temperature. There is an increased vulnerability to dehydration and in 38- to 40-degree heat a person can go into a coma or in some cases people can die.
"Ecstasy related deaths are often in hot environments where the body can't cool down. So if a person's normal temperature is 38.5 degrees, a person who is unwell has a temperature of 40 degrees and in some of these cases their temperature is 43 to 44 degrees.
He recommended that friends not hesitate to call for help if a friend showed any signs of being adversely affected by drugs.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national...-at-big-day-out/2009/02/02/1233423112027.html
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
