26 overdose on GHB at Melbourne rave

[rahli]

Two people are in a critical condition and 26 people were admitted to hospital after overdosing on drugs at a dance party in Melbourne's north-west.

Ambulance Victoria says up to 26 people, mostly aged in their late teens and early 20s, had been taken ill with suspected GHB overdoses at the Calder Park raceway.

A spokesman for the ambulance service says patients were taken throughout the night to several hospitals across Melbourne.

Two people were treated for injuries including a broken ankle.

Ambulance manager Lindsay Bent says it stretched resources.

"Tonight's events was a significant drain on ambulance resources. We had to take 28 ambulances out of the community and respond them to this event at Calder Park to attend to these patients who had taken this drug," he said.

Mr Bent says the warnings about the dangers of the drug GHB do not seem to be getting through.

"The event tonight was an extremely safe event, it was well run it had an excellent medical resource there on scene which looked after the patients," he said.

"But despite all that we still had a large number of young people taking this drug despite the warnings.

"They just don't understand the extremely harmful effects that it can have on the body."

Link

[Chiral]

This sort of nonsense does nothing for the cause of trying to get legalisation happening...this is just ammunition for the pro anti drugs lobby.

really really silly stuff..I'm glad no one died.

H.

[coin]

i was talking to my sister earlier and she says "you know how you predicted 20 GHB overdoses? Well it was actually 26"

very much expected

[C_T]

Its from lack of knowledge.

If these 26 people knew not to consume alcohol, i wonder how many would have overdosed?

[JDanger]

This sort of nonsense does nothing for the cause of trying to get legalisation happening...this is just ammunition for the pro anti drugs lobby.

really really silly stuff..I'm glad no one died.

H.

Silly kids shoulda stuck to MDMA!

[cosmosuperball]

G is poo, its concrete cleaner and a date rape drug it's effects in my eyes pale in comparison to the enjoyment of anything else on the market including mj. Thats my 2c

[Genesis]

GHB is a dangerous drug. No doubt about it. I don't understand why people still choose to consume it. In it's liquid form you can never be certain exactly what the dose is (Same can be said for pills I guess) and as some one already said mixing GHB and booze is a no no. Does it come back to proper drug education or responsible distribution on the part of the government? I don't know but it seems every time there is a large rave event there seems to be a post here the next day with the GHB OD count.

And the same things get said every time. When will people learn?

Gen

[apothecary]

I would like to know exactly what qualifies as an overdose. Lots of people may feel they are overdosing simply due to inexperience with the drug, and put themselves in the ambulance when they may have been fine.

Not trying to say these kids should have said "she'll be right" and have a lie down, but it is clear that just like it used to be for "silly kids MDMA" and even on market mj a few decades ago, G has been demonised to the point where there is not even much street education available for users:

G is poo, its concrete cleaner and a date rape drug it's effects in my eyes pale in comparison to the enjoyment of anything else on the market including mj. Thats my 2c

Drug education is what will stop these overdoses. Contraindications, dose guidelines, expected effects, etc. With statements like the one directly above, what do you expect? Can't even get some acceptance from the drug using crowd. So where are users going to get their info from when they are knee deep in party?

I could easily modify the statement to be "scopolamine tablets are poo..." and it might still be true on a subjective level but in the end only education is going to stop people from eating two packs of kwells or some Datura and having a rather un-enjoyable night, regardless of how "poo" it is.

Once the prospective user of the drug is informed, he or she can make up their own mind about whether they will use the drug or not and plan accordingly.

Edited April 11, 2009 by apothecary

[t st tantra]

was this the easiest and most reasonably priced drug accessible to these people or did they have other options available?

a night on alcohol can be more expensive than a night on illegals!

t s t .

[momomoto]

can i be the one to say that if these drugs were legal, regulated and taxed etc - possibly none of this would have happened (had to do it!)

[kenny]

Probably not momo, imo.

The way I see it. If any such illegal is eventually mass produced in professional labs and dosed correctly, legally. People are still going to try push the envelope for all kinds of reasons. Just the same as kids do with alcohol.

Even though you rarely hear of 26 cases of alcohol poisoning at big party's. It does happen every weekend to alot of kids(and adults)

In my opinion. To be totally harsh. Fuck them. If your stupid enough to Overdose on anything your stupid and deserve it. Sure, some of these kids might have only been 16 or so and simply too immature and stuck with the wrong crowd at the wrong time. Ignorance is no excuse for the law, nor should it be for mother nature.

If your going to down pills or a vile of something that you have no idea where it came from. Bad fucking luck.

I am all for legalizing it, don't get me wrong. I'm just saying, while its illegal, I have no sympathy for people who are too gung ho about getting wasted and don't consider where this stuff came from, or what's in it, or who made it. Obviously with things like GHB or Speed or X your not always going to know where it came from exactly, or if its a new batch or a new cook ect.... That's the risk you take though.

So. Legalize it. But if you OD don't look to me to be calling 000.... ' sorry i forgot the number '

[Chiral]

Drug education is what will stop these overdoses. Contraindications, dose guidelines, expected effects, etc. With statements like the one directly above, what do you expect? Can't even get some acceptance from the drug using crowd. So where are users going to get their info from when they are knee deep in party?

Once the prospective user of the drug is informed, he or she can make up their own mind about whether they will use the drug or not and plan accordingly.

You know I reckon about 9 out 10 young people at raves are talked into doing something they nothing about..picture it an "Alpha" male in the group says hey guys I can get some GHB its cheap and really gives you a cool high wanna try some...the others are kinda bored...cause they don't have any pills or speed or whatever...no time educating themselves beforehand as they simply are out for a good time and some young people think they are indistructable. They haven't organised anything for the event... they figure they can get stuff at the party....not easy these days with dogs patrolling etc...So the alpha male persuades the rest of the group to chip in on some GHB and have fun..."PEER PRESSURE" wins and they get their stuff...now you would have to assume that some alcohol was consumed prior to entry because people like to use booze to break the nerves of a night out and have a few at the local before heading there or swigging a couple of fast ones at venue to loosen up.

What Apothecary says about "what can one expect as in effects etc...is very important...I mean I've never done GHB and I would read everything I could find about it before dosing...BUT.!..I have the luxury of being older and wiser and at home so I'm not pressured by others in situations where quick decisions are needed so they think the don't look like pikers.

Why is this drug making its way around the party scene...it doesn't seem to be a party drug from my reading...may as well take a fistful of Benzos or some Rophynol.

All first year high schoolers..I'm talking 1st form here should have a drug awareness class once a week..a period of drug awareness would be certainly a very important period of learning at that age....drum it in and make sure they know everything there is to know about all substances and the effects and effects of overdose and addiction...what are they teaching at high school these days anyways..I'd love to see a weekly roster at a random high school and see what is going on...hell I'd even volunteer to run a class of drug awareness for 1 day a week for free if it meant getting some sense into these kids...Would a school allow a layman to teach voluntarily these issues or would I need some qualifications...?

H.

[ThunderIdeal]

"what are they teaching at high school these days anyways"

hmmm i'm 25 and most of my old classes didn't teach anything interesting or useful. layman or not, some parents would outraged if their children were learning about drugs, although it's probably more important than sex ed, which could probably be compressed into "use a condom", hmmm and the kids with learning difficulties could have it tattooed 'down there' as a reminder.

[Chiral]

"what are they teaching at high school these days anyways"

layman or not, some parents would outraged if their children were learning about drugs

If that is the case and I'm not sure you are right... then crying when their daughter dies from an overdose of a drug she or her parents know nothing about is pointless. If parents want to be outraged about drug awareness then the govt should stop sending out useless brochures too.

H.

[mu!]

If your stupid enough to Overdose on anything your stupid and deserve it.

Dumbest quote of the century. seriously man, wtf. Do you take drugs at all? overdose is always inevitable at some point with any long term experience of drug taking

[t st tantra]

yep,someone recently gave me something,i asked twice how much it was and was given the same answer of one............after i had it i asked again to be told it was in fact twice that, though i think it could have been more cos i was floored and virtually unable to speak for a few hours.....in a public place,lol.....but its cool,i needed that and wouldnt do it myself cos i felt too stressed to cope but i did.....my tolerence was only 1/4 that of my friend.

t s t .

[apothecary]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/15/2543300.htm

Melbourne teens turn to cheap GHB: researcher

A leading drug researcher says it is cheaper and easier to buy the drug GHB in Melbourne than it is to buy a couple of beers.

The warning comes after 26 people were taken to hospital after overdosing on the drug at a dance party in the city's outer west last weekend.

GHB, or gammahydroxybutyrate, contains sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and other ingredients used in drain cleaners and solvents used to strip floors, and has a street value of only $7 for a two milligram dose.

It is odourless and virtually tasteless and can take effect within 20 minutes.

Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia's Paul Dillon says the drug is now more widely available in Melbourne than in Sydney.

"It would appear that the availability of GHB is not particularly good at the moment - it's pretty dry," he said.

"As a result of that, people are looking for places where it is more available, and it would appear the place to go would be Melbourne.

"Cheaper, more available, and as a result people are actually going to Melbourne; I interviewed a couple of young men not very long ago who were going to Melbourne to purchase quite large quantities of GHB, bring them back to Sydney and sell them there for a profit."

Mr Dillon says anecdotal evidence would suggest a dangerous trend is emerging in Melbourne, where teenagers prefer to use GHB because it is so cheap.

"When the price goes down, the greatest concern that we have is that it becomes more accessible to young people who have limited funds," he said.

"This is a drug that you don't want to get into the hands of young people, even the most experienced drug users have problems with this drug.

"They follow a set of rules - and I use that term lightly - and I suppose the younger you are the less regard you have for those type of rules, and that's where things can go terribly wrong."

He says GHB is a very powerful depressant, which can cause death.

"It's unlike any other drug that's used in a nightclub/dance setting," he said.

"If you take too much, just a little bit more than you should, what happens is it shuts your respiratory system down."

GHB is popular at dance parties because sniffer dogs cannot detect it and Mr Dillon says it has had devastating consequences on the dance party scene in Sydney and New York.

"It has literally destroyed the nightclub, dance party scene," he said.

"No promoter of any dance event wants this drug in their event, because it does bring unwanted attention, and it puts their punters at risk."

EDIT: edited to add emphasis

Edited April 15, 2009 by apothecary

[C_T]

FFS this stuff was OTC at your local health food store for nearly 10 yrs!!!! Its not that bloody dangerous, if you got common sense!

Plus i think they are hinting that GHB is being converted from GBL (with the sodium hydroxide statement)

GHB should NOT contain any impurities, distillation would yeild a pure product no?

Love the media's scare tactics tho :D

[t st tantra]

so hes saying the use of sniffer dogs is encouraging the use of ghb?

and as i suspected price is a major factor in ghb use?

no mention is made of the availability of alternatives but alcohol is obviously very expensive.

t s t .

[Chiral]

yep,someone recently gave me something,i asked twice how much it was and was given the same answer of one............after i had it i asked again to be told it was in fact twice that, though i think it could have been more cos i was floored and virtually unable to speak for a few hours.....in a public place,lol.....but its cool,i needed that and wouldnt do it myself cos i felt too stressed to cope but i did.....my tolerence was only 1/4 that of my friend.

t s t .

[Chiral]

so hes saying the use of sniffer dogs is encouraging the use of ghb?

I'd say thats a big ten four...lack of stims inside because of sniffers no doubt...the strange thing here about the rave and club scene as opposed to the UK and Europe is that the club promoter and managers over there have their own men in the clubs knocking out the pukka pills for the punters...anyone else caught dealing inside that isn't part of the bosses firm is slung out with a fist up their arse....here the promoters are having a wank and powdereing their nose's in front of the mirror in case there is a phone call and they can be a contestant on the show "the phone"...really though they have no idea here some people.....they wanna run a show and let people have fun etc....but aren't providing the punters safety by having the necessary items on sale inside with their own crew.

and as i suspected price is a major factor in ghb use?

Yep it's an economic crisis even in partyland...it's cheap and their isn't anything else available...plus the... I can't dance unless I get some drugs into me theme...whats gunna happen....it's GHB time...still begs the question why is this drug making its way around the party scene...I think because it's the only one that can be gotten in without detection...another dangerous thing about sniffers is this new trend of smuggling in dangerous depressants to young people unfocused at parties....I'd say the sniffers are the prime reason for all of this.

no mention is made of the availability of alternatives but alcohol is obviously very expensive.

Good point but like my earlier post in this thread I would say they have a few beverages at their local before heading out...not as expensive as at the venue...alternatives drugs are not getting in and or the dealers who do make it in are running out and only a small percentage of punters actually score and get high....dealers who wanna make a small buck at rave will what maybe take 20 or 30 pills out to sell...say 500 at the venue...so we need a lot of them dealers getting in with their pills to make sure every one is covered with stuff...I know some sort them selves out before hand take their own wth them ...but remember doggies woof woof sniff sniff so they might chuck em at last minute too who knows....personally it's all very tragic and their would be a bloody riot and uproar if this tactic was ever enforced in the UK club scene.

H

t s t .

Edited April 15, 2009 by Hunab Ku

[Alchemica]

$7 for a two milligram dose

Reminds me of someone who got busted with GHB... The commercial quantity (ie charge becomes Possession for Sale, Major Indictable) was set at 0.5 grams... 0.5 grams of GHB is threshold, if that.

I get really annoyed about the lack of interest in the development (and eventual marketing) of GABA-B antagonists like SCH-50911 for the treatment of GHB ODs. It would be of great if a GHB antidote made it to emergency rooms in the near future; the current reliance on supportive GHB OD treatments is a waste of ventilators and medical professionals.

I don't blame people for turning to GHB - it is apparently a great (albeit short acting and uninsightful) social lubricant/anxiolytic when used with caution. It would be nice if the users could be more informed, avoid alcohol at all costs, refrain from frequent top-ups and ideally, get the dealers to sell in standardised doses (eg 1g/mL) that are coloured and bittered with something to avoid sinister uses. Wishful thinking...

Edited April 16, 2009 by The Alchemist

[AndyAmine.]

I was under the impression that G' was mostly used near the end of the night when people were coming down?

[C_T]

I was under the impression that G' was mostly used near the end of the night when people were coming down?

Its a healthy alternative to alcohol.

No hangover, no liver strain. Good social lubricant with a nice buzz of euphoria.

[MindExpansion]

GHB, or gammahydroxybutyrate, contains sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and other ingredients used in drain cleaners and solvents used to strip floors, and has a street value of only $7 for a two milligram dose.

Heh, this is misleading, it suggests that GHB is a mix of random chems having an effect...how can gammahydroxybutyrate, a molecure, contain that other stuff too...they should say that STREET ghb may contain leftovers from manufacture such as yada yada...fkn drama queens.

Hunab I disagree with a lot of what you posted.

Most people I know who go clubbing/partying/festival going are still very happy to take their gear with them, dogs or not. Not saying that is the case across the board, but just saying I don't think dogs are the prime motivator here.

Price might be the prime motivator.

But the other possibility is that these 26 guys use G at every party they attend...then this time round the concentration of the stuff is doubled cause of a new supplier or something like that...so they end up bathing in sweat on the floor.

It might also have to do with a misconception of effects...for example, dealer buys a bunch of G and is told that 'its like alcohol' because pharmacologically its similar, dealer tells his customers who are calling up for for the rave supply 'ive got this heaps cheap stuff thats like piss but you only need a little and it doesnt cost as much' so kid buys some and goes and still gets drunk then has his G and OD's cause of the interaction, or just takes too much and ODs that way.

So the possible involvement of alcohol is also a factor to be considered.

Also have to remember that pills and goey arent that much more expensive for a night than piss (depending on what you drink i suppose).

Still is funny that the alcopops tax is probably going to drive more kiddies to spirits and alternative sources of a buzz (Fuck knows why they are trying AGAIN).

Peace