| Sadly, at a recent Music Festival in Melbourne 8 people were taken to hospital with a dangerous reaction to Ecstasy (MDMA).
There are now claims that pill testing would have prevented this. However the facts indicate that this is not the case. Take a closer look ….
What causes ecstasy deaths?
Most ecstasy deaths involve hyperthermia where the body heats above 40 degrees Celsius, causing organ shutdown and death. Idiosyncratic vulnerabilities Many die from idiosyncratic vulnerabilities to MDMA (ecstasy) where some individuals’ inability to metabolise ecstasy appears to cause their deaths. As with Anna Wood, Australia’s first ecstasy death in 1995, she bought ecstasy tablets along with four friends but only she died. There were no deadly impurities in her tablet, nor other drugs mixed with the MDMA. It was ecstasy alone that killed Anna and ecstasy alone that was directly responsible for 23% of all Australian MDMA-related deaths between July 2000 and June 2005, and for 14% of all MDMA-related deaths between July 2000 and November 2018 (see Roxburgh study below).
|
|
Many die from very small doses of ecstasy – for instance New Zealand’s first fatality from ecstasy in 1998 had blood concentrations showing she only had a fraction of a pill. Ecstasy taken with other legal and illegal drugs Polydrug use, where ecstasy is consumed along with alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines etc caused 48% of the 392 MDMArelated deaths between 2000 and 2018. Alcohol is known to interfere with the metabolism of MDMA, leading to higher MDMA blood concentrations. Methamphetamine, like ecstasy, causes hyperthermia, and when taken together can cause deaths from its complications. Most deaths are from users taking ecstasy with other legal or illegal drugs. Accidents resulting from ecstasy intoxication 29% of all MDMA-related deaths between 2000 and 2018 were from fatal accidents deemed by coroners to be caused by ecstasy (see Roxburgh study below). While accidents such as drowning cause only the death of that ecstasy user, car accidents can cause the deaths of other occupants of their vehicle, or occupants of other vehicles hit by an intoxicated driver. Most of the deaths from accidents involved vehicles. WHAT EVERY AUSTRALIAN YOUNG PERSON NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT ECSTASY DEATHS | DRUG FREE AUSTRALIA 4 Unpredictability of ambient temperature and social context Making ecstasy use entirely unpredictable, scientific studies with rodents show that changes in social context and ambient temperature cause deaths. Rats given one fifth the lethal dose of MDMA exhibit brain temperature increases when merely put into a social situation with other rats, but when this was combined with an increase in ambient temperature from 22 degrees to 29 degrees Celsius, which rats would normally tolerate well, all rats died from hyperthermic overheating. This may explain why experienced ecstasy users die taking identical pills on differing occasions. Pill testing does not identify these causes Pill testing will not be able to identify whether you have an individual vulnerability to ecstasy – it is not a property found in a pill. Likewise, polydrug use – using ecstasy with other legal or illegal drugs – is not a property found in a pill. Accidents from intoxication cannot be identified in a pill. Higher ambient temperatures and vibrant social situations are not properties of a pill. None of these real causes will be identified by pill testing. The problem with pill testing is that it will make young people think that it makes ecstasy safer to use. It doesn’t.
|
|
Topic 2 - TOBACCO WARS -
How has Legalisation prevented crime,
violence and the Black Market?
|
|
Australia is one of the most expensive places on earth to be a smoker – taxes on cigarettes have pushed the average cost of a pack well past $40. In Victoria, police say the illegal industry has become so lucrative, rival gangs are violently fighting it out for bigger stakes in the business. Check out this video report: Illegal tobacco war escalating in Melbourne - ABC News |
|
Topic 3 - VAPING - Legislative Update |
|
The first stage of Australia’s vaping reforms was made by the Governor-General in Federal Executive Council this week, through amendments to therapeutic goods and customs regulations. These amendments will help to address the increasing health risks posed by vaping, while preserving legitimate patient access to therapeutic vapes for smoking cessation and the management of nicotine dependence, under health practitioner supervision. From 1 January 2024, the importation of disposable vapes will be prohibited, subject to very limited exceptions. The ban will apply to disposable vapes irrespective of nicotine content or therapeutic claims. It means that it will be unlawful to import disposable vapes on or after 1 January 2024, even if those vapes were ordered before 1 January 2024 and have not yet arrived in Australia. From 1 March 2024, the importation of all non-therapeutic vapes will be prohibited. This means that it will be unlawful to import non-therapeutic vapes on or after 1 March 2024 even if those vapes were ordered before 1 March 2024 and have not yet arrived in Australia. In addition, the importation of all vapes under the personal importation scheme will end on 1 March 2024. From this date, patients will no longer be able to order vapes directly from overseas, even if they have a prescription. Concerns – there are a number of exceptions to the above changes, plus DFA believes all legislation should have been applied from the month of January. For the full article go to: New regulation of vapes starting January 2024 | Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) |
|
Topic 4 - Family & School Resources - 2024 |
|
Free - Online, age-appropriate drug prevention for schools for Years 5-12
|
|
Focusing on Youth Resilience
|
|
#NotEvenOnce® TeenChallenge Tasmania |
|
#NotEvenOnce® TeenChallenge Tasmania – school WEBINARS
|
|
The Daesy program Drug and Alcohol Program Supporting Youth
|
|
Kerryn will work with class groups and assemblies, sharing her encounter with drugs. Email: [email protected] |
|
For WCTU Primary and Secondary programs
|
|
Books available on the website:
|
|
Topic 5 - WHAT'S NEW IN 2024 |
|
Topic 6 - PLEASE DONATE TO OUR WORK IN DRUG USE PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION. |
|
Or go to our Go Fund Me page: |
|
|
| |
|
|
