NEWS: Three overdose at rave
Three overdose at rave
From: By Matt Williams
December 05, 2005
Three partygoers have overdosed on drugs at an Adelaide dance party / file THREE partygoers overdosed on the designer drug Fantasy and a new drug to the Adelaide party scene, the Green Pill, at the Enchanted 2005 rave event at Port Gawler, South Australia.
The weekend event, which attracted about 8000, finished at 7am yesterday with organisers pleased overall with revellers' behaviour.
The three people who were taken to hospital after collapsing were last night in a "satisfactory" condition.
Research fellow at the Royal Adelaide Hospital Dr David Caldicott, who independently volunteered to attend the rave, said new pills often debut at Enchanted as it is the first official event for summer.
He said no one knows why two people overdosed on the Green Pill. "I've got no idea what (the pill) is because we didn't do any pill testing," he said. "I hope I don't find out by (performing a) post-mortem.
"The most serious overdose was after taking Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), or Fantasy, which supports our position it's a very dangerous substance and people should not be dabbling with it."
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Those who attended the rave were subjected to security checks at the entrance, with officers checking the boots and interiors of cars for any alcohol and drugs.
Despite the significant presence of guards, contracted by Weslo Security, The Advertiser did not see any individuals being searched for drugs as they entered.
Some revellers said it was "quite easy" to take drugs into the party. " We've only got a couple of pills on us but we didn't even get checked," one reveller said.
taken from here
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17459664-1246,00.html
Also...
Mystery tablet blamed for overdoses
From: AAP
December 04, 2005
A MYSTERY green tablet has been blamed for a number of drug overdoses at an outdoor rave party in Adelaide.
The unknown designer drug is believed to have been taken by four overdose victims at the all-night Summer Enchanted Rave, held at Port Gawler, which attracted more than 5000 people overnight.
Royal Adelaide Hospital drug researcher Dr David Caldicott, who attended the rave, said green tablets were seized by authorities after the overdoses.
"I've go not idea what's in (the green pill); we really need to find out more," Dr Caldicott told AAP.
"It's even more alarming that one of the females that overdosed only took half a tablet."
SA Ambulance spokesman Lee Francis said medical crews treated the four victims at the scene before they were taken to hospital at various intervals during the night. No-one died as a result of taking the tablets.
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Dr Caldicott, convenor of OzTox Collaboration independent research group, works closely with Melbourne-based Enlighten Harm Reduction into designer drug use. Both agencies promote harm reduction techniques among users of the drug ecstasy and fantasy and researchers regularly attend rave parties.
"Parents need to ask themselves: do they want to know what (their) kids are taking or do they want to find out at autopsy," Dr Caldicott said.
"We're not endorsing pill use, but the reality is that unless we find out what they are taking, we'll never save lives."
From his observation at the rave party, Dr Caldicott said there was quite a lot of fantasy being consumed by revellers.
"Fantasy is a very unpleasant drug and there is a real risk of severe injury and death," he said.
In Australia, fantasy is commonly used as a liquid drug that contains Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate (GHB) that is "a very nasty drug and no one is safe from using it".
The rave was held on a 400 hectare property north of Adelaide that is used for off-road racing.
"The rave was noisy with lots of lights, they were all dancing away next to the beach," a spokeswoman from Port Gawler Off Road Hire Park told AAP.
To ensure the safety of revellers, SA Police, Ambulance and the Red Cross met with event organisers to prepare a safety plan.
Mr Francis said considering the number of people who attended the event, the result was "not too bad at all".
"While it's not ideal for them (victims), it turned out as well as could be hoped," he said.
SA Police said tablets were seized, but would not comment on the pills involved.
taken from here
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17457578-1246,00.html
one more...
Four treated for overdoses at rave
From: AAP
December 04, 2005
FOUR people are recovering in hospital after overdosing on designer drugs at an outdoor rave party in Adelaide's northern suburbs.
The overdoses occurred at the all-night Summer Enchanted party, held at Port Gawler, which attracted more than 5,000 young people, police said.
SA Ambulance spokesman Lee Francis said medical crews treated the four victims at the scene before they were taken to hospital at various intervals during the night.
"The first overdose occurred about midnight and that person was taken to the nearby Lyell McEwan hospital," Mr Francis said.
He said the other drug overdoses happened about 2am, 5am and 9am. The rave party finished at 7am this morning.
"I don't have details about the ages or gender of the people, however one was female," Mr Francis said.
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To ensure the safety of revellers, SA Police, Ambulance and the Red Cross met with event organisers to prepare a safety plan.
Mr Francis said considering the number of people who attended the event, the result was "not too bad at all".
"While it's not ideal for them (victims), it turned out as well as could be hoped," he said.
During the rave party, police sniffer dogs were used to patrol the area and signs were erected warning ravers about the presence of the dogs.
Workers from the State Government also distributed free condoms to revellers to promote the message of safe sex.
taken from here
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17456476-1246,00.html
Mystery green pill??? most likely a green mitz, any SA bluelighters who went to Enchanted know what logo it might have been? These storys sound like a good excuse to let enlighten do their work and let them test pills at raves, maybe this might not have happened?
