Australia: Experts at odds about party drugs
Jasbird
Ecstasy users could account for new Alzheimer's cases
Partygoers who popped ecstasy pills could cause an avalanche of future
Alzheimer's patients, the Federal Government said today.
<http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/23/1056220526207.html>
'Overreaction' to party drug use
AUSTRALIANS were overreacting to the use of so-called party drugs
among young people, a drug expert said today.
<http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,6639749%255E421,00.html>
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Triffids&btnG=Google+Search>
Experts at odds about party drugs
MELBOURNE
A DRUG expert today downplayed the use of so-called party drugs as a
senior politician said the drugs could lead to an avalanche of future
Alzheimer's disease cases.
David Crosbie, chief executive of the rehabilitation program, Odyssey
Victoria, and a member of the Prime Minister's National Drug Council
said Australians were over-reacting to the use of so-called party
drugs among young people A keynote speaker at the Inaugural Victorian
Party Drugs Symposium held in Melbourne today, Mr Crosbie said drug
initiatives should focus on providing better information to reduce the
harm done by the drugs.
"It's an incredible over-reaction that adults start throwing their
hands in the air and saying "Isn't it horrible that kids are using
these drugs?' as at the same time they are going out and getting drunk
on a Friday, Saturday night," he said.
"I think we need to keep it in perspective, of course we need to do
things to try and reduce the harm that the kids are experiencing but
let's not say there's this huge drug epidemic that's capturing our
kids."
But parliamentary secretary to the federal health minister, Trish
Worth, today said ecstasy and related drugs could cause Alzheimer's
disease later in life.
"Experts tell me they don't really know enough about it, maybe having
quite serious impacts on the brain and there may be an avalanche of
people in the future with Alzheimer's disease as a result," she said.
"Although heroin has some terrible consequences, somebody who's dosed
up on heroin is likely to be fairly quiet but unfortunately with a
psychostimulant and the use of some of these party drugs, young people
in particular can become quite aggressive."
Also speaking at the Melbourne symposium, Natalie Russell from
frontline education program Ravesafe, said party-drug use was on the
increase.
"Every weekend somewhere in Melbourne there's a club event, there's a
rave event," she said.
"Every weekend in Melbourne hundreds of people are using ecstasy,
speed and other amphetamines and party drugs.
"So it's definitely growing and there's more and more young people
coming into the scene as well."
She said teenagers as young as 16 were using party drugs.
"Being told to 'just say no' is not going to work so we need to look
at these peer education, harm reduction programs out there in the
scene," she said.
Last year's National Drug Household Study showed one in five 20- to
29-year olds had used party drugs, while seven per cent of teenagers
had used the drugs.
-AAP
Š 2003 West Australian Newspapers Limited
Jasbird
blasé.
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/australia/wa/metwa-23jun2003-8.htm>
Posted: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 12:34 AWST
Youth 'blasé' about party drug dangers
Young Australians are ignoring the dangers of 'party' drugs such as
ecstasy, according to the parliamentary secretary for health, Trish
Worth.
A report released today as part of Drug Action Week shows the biggest
growth in the use of ecstasy is occuring among 18 and 19-year-olds.
It also shows ecstasy, LSD and speed are the most widely used drugs
after marijuana.
Ms Worth says psycho-stimulants such as speed are an increasing
concern because they are easily produced.
"I've heard of one case of a bikie gang just going down the coast of
Western Australia, going into chemist shops and getting some cold and
flu tablets along the way and then getting into manufacture, so it's a
more complex area," she said.
Phil Stovell
<jasbird#deletethis#@myrealbox.com> wrote:
>"Experts tell me they don't really know enough about it, maybe having
>quite serious impacts on the brain and there may be an avalanche of
>people in the future with Alzheimer's disease as a result," she said.
As the experts don't know enough about it, I'll make some things up.
>"Although heroin has some terrible consequences, somebody who's dosed
>up on heroin is likely to be fairly quiet but unfortunately with a
>psychostimulant and the use of some of these party drugs, young people
>in particular can become quite aggressive."
Must explain all that violence at raves. Funny thing is, the few I've been to
have been remarkably peaceful.
--
Phil Stovell
South Hampshire, UK
Ric
>>"Although heroin has some terrible consequences, somebody who's dosed
>>up on heroin is likely to be fairly quiet but unfortunately with a
>>psychostimulant and the use of some of these party drugs, young people
>>in particular can become quite aggressive."
>
>Must explain all that violence at raves. Funny thing is, the few I've been to
>have been remarkably peaceful.
Yeh but they talk back and interupt when dad's trying to watch 'Last of the
Summer Wine'. At least when little Bruce was on smack it kept him quiet.
I hope they legalise drugs soon so I can get to marketing my new 'TixySmack(R)
- when the little tykes just won't settle down'.
Cheers
Ric
Masonic
organs,
what is it doing to the brain?..." *eg*