Herald Sun: Drug Pushers Use Logo Lure

[Chemical Shaman]

Drug pushers use logo lure

By SHELLEY HODGSON, Police reporter

13jan02

DRUG peddlers are using some of the world's most marketable brand names to attract children to drugs.

Names such as Mercedes, Oakley, Armani, adidas, Rolex, Qantas, Versace and Calvin Klein brands are being used to push designer party drugs and amphetamines.

A Harry Potter-branded ecstasy tablet is the latest to hit the Melbourne market in what health experts say is a bid to lure increasingly younger children into drug-taking.

This follows the use of famous characters such as Superman, Snoopy, Batman, Casper, Mickey Mouse and Popeye to market illicit drugs.

The brand names have nothing to do with the illegal drugs carrying their logos and have not given approval for their use.

According to an internet drug forum, the Harry Potter MDMA (ecstasy) pills are beige or white and feature a wizard on a broomstick.

Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, Australian Medical Association Victorian president, said enticing children into drug use could be the only motive of using the Harry Potter name.

"The whole concept of using that name to market these things is abhorrent because of the potential spill over to the younger population as well," Dr Haikerwal said.

"To use this particular one -- it is very much a child, primary school age type of image -- has the great risk of making it seem attractive to them as well. It is unforgivable.

"There's no doubt they're (drug manufacturers) shifting their aim.

"It's like the smoking lobby -- they're trying to get them young."

Dr Haikerwal said he feared naive drug users could wrongly associate the logos and names with the designer companies, giving them a false sense of security.

Youth Substance Abuse Service training and education manager Andrew Bruun said he did not believe the Harry Potter pills were specifically aimed at children, but that that could be a consequence of the marketing.

Mr Bruun said the marketing was aimed at those in the rave scene, mostly over 15.

"What they have just done is parallel marketing," Mr Bruun said.

But he added: "There's an element of people in that sub-culture trying to parody mainstream culture."

National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre information manager Paul Dillon said logos had been put on ecstasy pills since the mid-80s, when a dove on a tablet was a sign of quality.

But the logos could cause complacency among drug users.

Rip-offs of popular ecstasy logos could be on the street within two days, he said.

"People believe that if they have taken one before, if they have taken the same one, they are going to be all right.

"Drugs don't work like that -- particularly illicit drugs, because there's no quality control."

Labels such as Harry Potter and Superman were simply mainstream symbols of quality relating to youth culture that could be easily remembered, Mr Dillon said.

Australian Drug Foundation director of the centre for youth studies Geoff Munro said the logos were a marketing ploy.

"We have no evidence it's going to result in young people taking up ecstasy use," Mr Munro said.

"It's just a gimmick really to draw attention to it among the users."

Victoria Police said they had no official reports or seizures of the Harry Potter pill.

LINK

[This message has been edited by Chemical Shaman (edited 13 January 2002).]

[Guest Psilo_smylin]

Yeah,

the "elektrik wheelchair' pills just were'nt selling to well around the nursing homes,

so I decided to do some market reseach at kindergartens and primary schools (just like that MilkyWay add/ hey theres another name MW)

Seriously though, my mum has read 4 of those books but'd never munch a pill (I don't think?).

On the other hand I don't like Harry Potter or the books

'n

[This message has been edited by Psilo_smylin (edited 13 January 2002).]

[Guest Psilo_smylin]

Originally posted by Chemical Shaman:

drug users could wrongly associate the logos and names with the designer companies, giving them a false sense of security.

Ohhh, what a shame it'd be for a huge 'designer' company to be associated with drugs.

I'm sure these companies hate people going around telling their friends to buy some ----'s, cause they had a ----- and all night they were ----- of their ----'n head and its the best feeling if you have a ----, etc, etc

'n

[This message has been edited by Psilo_smylin (edited 13 January 2002).]

[Torsten]

The reporter doesn't have a clue. This is what you get when you write about something you have no idea about. In the late 80's it was very uncool fo kids to be into drugs. And they certainly coulnd't afford them (ever noticed how everything gets more expensive and pills actually become cheaper). Yet, we still had childish symbols and superheros on our papers and pills. Why?? because they made us smile. We associated funny things with a good trip. Imagine buying a trip with John Howard on it or the letters GST? well, would you have a good trip?? We also associated the

spiritual designs with spiritual trips, such as white elephants, Jesus, Buddha, mandalas etc. That doesn't mean thatthe people who made them wanted us to join a religion or become pilgrims in India does it??

It is this sheer lack of understanding which undermines people like this author.

[Guest Psilo_smylin]

Originally posted by Torsten:

Imagine buying a trip with John Howard on it or the letters GST?

RAOF-LMFAO For 5 min.

Pills already taste like shit (so I hear),

the GST was hard enough to swallow

the first time.

Sorry thats bad taste

'n

[Wazron]

The culture of ignorance spreads...

I don't think that the reporter has got it wrong. Journalism and drugs go hand in hand, many journo's are used to the odd touch of coke or goey to keep them awake at the right time. Most journalists for the bigger papers live in major cities anyway, and if you live in Sydney and you're under 35 you'll know about E even if you don't touch the stuff.

This article is being deliberately cast to the ignorant masses. "Won't sombody think of the children" is the perfect justification for a crackdown (think stiffening penalties). The harsher the law, the more people go to prison. The more people that go to prison, the more money the privatised companies that run them make. The more money the prison companies make, the more leverage they get on politicians ("support the anti-potter ecstacy bill. You'll be protecting kiddies and we'll lease you a BMW").

There is an entire class of people out there who have a need to 'protect the children'. These are the people who give money to the Anna Woods Foundation. These are the people who approve of the Salvos having a hand in national drug policy. These are the people who want you to fence your pool at your expense, even if you don't have kids. These are the people who banned fireworks night. These are the people who want pit bull terriers banned (or at least registered and kept as weapons). They are ones saying that the sharemarket is good for the economy.

The article above is designed to cater to them. Truly, the alliance of Media, Government and 'special' interests is an unholy one.

God I hate this country's politics. The people above- let's just call them the middle class wets- are easy to stir up into a frenzy of law-passing, lobbying, protective rage using suggestive techniques. Like any of them would remember the middle part of the article saying that the HP tabs were a parody of mainstream culture- the first third of the article makes it perfectly clear that no, the evil anna-woods killing dope fiends are going after the lucrative eight year old market. For fuck's sake...

This is the consequence of a school system that teaches people what to think, not how. No sooner does an article like this take off than you start to hear the cries of "Oppress me! Take away my rights, and everyone else's, for the good of the children!"

I hope to still be alive and physically able when our government collapses inwards from its own weight.

wazron

"We used to roar like lions for liberty- now we bleat like sheep for safety." Norman Vincent Peale

"Imagine a boot stamping on a human face, over and over, forever. That's the future." Orwell, '1984'

[waterdragon]

you go waz.

[gomaos]

I'll go with that too, Wazron, seconded or thirded or whatever.

Every word of it!

[Torsten]

muuwaarhaarhaha....gulp!

[waterdragon]

chortle

[Guest VENDEJO]

it has to be said

Wazron u da fucking MAN

spread the word

u lecturing at EB2?

[Guest Psilo_smylin]

Yeah Waz!

Its a strange society we live in.

Q.How many drug related deaths occur each year?, (anyone got the 'stats')

& how many do you hear about each year?

Maybe one or two from the families of the people with close ties to the media and also those with enough money to buy lots of "class A drugs" (& no that doesn’t guarantee top quality

IMO Marijuana & grog (~$20) would be the normal party drug of choice for high schoolers of the "public sector", the upper end private sector (jail owners kids etc)can fork out (~$35-$100) for class A shit.

IMHO If people really gave (give) a SHITE about any issue they wouldn’t watch or read about it on the news, then bitch about it and make cynical remarks.

We just have a decent Fuc*'n discussion about the solutions to problems that actually affect us.

BTW (got a joke for yaz)

Q. What is the ultimate definition of "Organised Crime".

A. Press conference at the Police AGM

-------------------------

I'll be honest,

I'm not perfect,

But I'm trying.

I'll admit when I'm wrong and

concede defeat when beat.

I've had it up to here with that crap,

but not use it as an excuse for my own,

I believe that charity begins at home,

but I'm lousy at home improvements

honest people will admit they lie,

liars always deny lying and will tell you they don't

From a song I learnt in kinder garden I give you this:

(Do this with friends on trains while people are reading their morning papers and trying hard to ignore you and everyone else, except that hot blonde chick in the mini or the pissant under cover cop)

(all together now)

"If your a hypocrite and you know it clap your hands...

'Clap'

'Clap'

If your a hypocrite and you know it clap your hands...

'Clap'

'Clap'

If your a hypocrite and you know then you really ought to show it,

if your a hypocrite and you know it clap your hands...

'Clap'

'Clap'

-------------------

'n

PS sorry about the long post, it started as a one liner then emotions kicked in.

[Darklight]

This is the consequence of a school system that teaches people what to think, not how

If someone hasn't had thinking ppl around them by the time they hit school, nothing's going to save them anyhow. Why anyone expects an education system to do all the work is beyond me. Kids spend more time outside school than in it, why do ppl assume that the school system is the only place ppl learn anything? I suspect its to take the blame off themselves.

I just finished reading Oliver Sacks latest "Uncle Tungsten". While it gets a bit bogged down, what struck me most was that as a young boy, the author describes attaining much learning, great joy and insight into the inter-relatedness of very different fields of study. As did, historically, many of the ppl he learned about on the way who had contributed to the process.

He did this b/c he owned a chemistry set, was allowed to play with things which could have been dangerous, and had ppl around him who could support and encourage his interest.No formal education was involved at all.

It would never happen today, of course. Anyone trying such things here would be immediately of suspicion to the authorities, or removed from the care of their parents on the grounds that they were being encouraged to do something unsafe.

So is this what the WoSD is doing to the field of science? Now virtually the only way for a scientific education to occur is as a part of a recognised course, whose graduates are funnelled into narrow and overspecialised areas of pure commercial interest.

What major discoveries will elude future generations as a result?

"We used to roar like lions for liberty- now we bleat like sheep for safety."

No-one's said it better ever since, hey

[woof woof woof]

This thread really woke the anarchist in me....

......E M O T I O N S....... flipping

[Chemical Shaman]

Wazron: Great fucken post man!!!

Torsten: WHERE CAN I GET SOME OF THAT SWEET ASS FUCKING LIBERAL PARTY ACID THAT'S GOING AROUND I HEAR IT HAS BEEN LACED WITH MESCALINE AND KETAMINE TOOOO

"I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotamy."

[somnif]

Re: Oliver Sacks latest "Uncle Tungsten"

Enjoyable read. Particularly for people

such as myself who enjoyed the practical

side of chemistry (think: bangs, stinks,

sparks etc)

Personally, ethnobotany and related

pursuits have taught me more about

Chemistry, Botany, Law, History,

Spirituality etc. than 19 years of

various levels of schooling.

I've always felt that if I had a child

and I had a choice of them coming to me

and saying they had a strong interest in

either taking Drugs or Being A Born Again

Christian (or Young Liberal) I'd certainly

choose (well informed) Drug Use.

(Which does raise the question of whether

or not you can be a well informed Born

Again Christian/Young Liberal)

[rkundalini]

I thought it was just abhorrent that J.K. Rowling wrote a whole book promoting Psilocybe tampanensis sclerotia... Fancy using drugs to market to ever-older readers...

[squiresk]

"lucrative eight year old market"

He He

How big is it, I sense an opportunity.

k.

[Guest Nozzle Boy]

rkundialupinternetaccess - what's this aboot JK Rowling writing aboot mushrooms ? Are you talking aboot Harry Potter, or another book that she's written ?

I was pretty fuming after reading that article for real - but at least the person who wrote that put in some ACTUAL evidence at the end, which totally contradicts everything else that she's just said. That Geoff Munro guy sounded ( to me ) like he was the REAL deal, not some dude that has biased ( me biased ? Hell no ! ) OPINIONS on the matter, instead of actually telling the truth aboot the whole issue.

If anyone has seen the article in the paper, you would have seen the photo of the 4 pills - how hard is it to tell that they are all doctored ! No pill would hold that much attention to detail, be it the shading, or the definition of the edges.

Reading a bit more aboot the whole deal on Bluelight, it seems the article has been doing the rounds in several different newspapers - I think the Sun had the tamest, speaks alot for the other articles.

For the http://www.smh.com.au/breaking/2002/01/03/...FXROGRELUC.htmlSydney Morning Herald article, it goes into pretty big detail aboot a http://www.pillreport.com/viewpill.php3?su...area=3&id=19907certain post on pillreport.com - pretty amazing, you can get ACTUAL PROOF that what the reporters said are for real ! I found it pretty funny.

A drug internet chat site named www.pillreport.com shows a drug named Harry Potter has hit the streets of Melbourne.

Drug takers there have posted notes on the website saying the drug is very nice while others have called for supplies of Harry Potter in Sydney.

The drug, which features an engraving of a witch over a moon, joins a list of other drugs named after crazes of the day.

One message posted on the website says it is funny the pill is available just weeks after the movie arrived in Australia.

"haha do you know what's really funny? in 3d this week, they said one of the contenders for most popular film of 2001 was harry potter. then they went on to say how much merchandise there was for HP, and they go "yeah, next there will be Harry Potter Pills". well , there you go! "

Another message called for the pills in Sydney.

"we need these in sydney pplz ive heard some good stuff bout these harry potters."

If you clicked the link, you'd notice just how well quoted the pillreport was - even down to the shocking spelling and all !

There was also one in the Daily Paragraph, but the link I got didn't work - so here's some majorly whacked quotes from the article aboot some crazy bitch named Bev Baker :

"Bev Baker yesterday condemned the marketing ploy, saying it could lead to children believing that ecstacy provides magical powers"

"It could lead children into believe it can give them the same powers as Harry Potter"

"Harry Potter books have enticed children away from from the internet, the new ecstacy tablet is an attempt to draw them back"

I suppose I'd better stop ranting now, I know I'd be lest angry if I stopped yapping aboot it.

- and what a pity that Jeff Kennett was in the same political party as John Howard ! Jeff rules. Or to be more specific, Jeff's haircut rules. I've got a metre tall poster of just his face, which was used in the state election a while back that I stole from the local base place doobywhack. I love you Jeff !

[rkundalini]

I was just having a joke about Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone...

[Torsten]

Originally posted by rkundalini:

I was just having a joke about Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone...

Not many will get that joke, cos tampanensis sclerotia aren't really freely available (or available at all) in australia - you dutch drug snob

Nozz - Tampanensis is also called the Philosopher's stone.

CS - sorry, they never made it. This was my entry (well, one of a few) to a dutch 'art' competition. It was speculated that the winner would become world famous These days I use the blotter art as rave flyer backgrounds...

[gomaos]

[This message has been edited by gomaos (edited 21 January 2002).]

[Guest Psilo_smylin]

" tampanensis sclerotia "

I thought that was the "Carefree" method of cultivating ergot instead of rye

[This message has been edited by Psilo_smylin (edited 15 January 2002).]

[gomaos]

Originally posted by Torsten:

[/b

They look so yummy...

What are they?

Can I have one, pleasepleasepleaseplease....

[Torsten]

Originally posted by gomaos:

They look so yummy...

What are they?

Can I have one, pleasepleasepleaseplease....

as I said, they never made it to any fame. I used to love sitting there making blotter art just to see what works and what doesn't. It makes great flyer backgrounds. I have never seen any of my 'art' make it into production though.