Australia's hidden drug death toll
HUNDREDS of deaths have been linked to a boom in ecstasy, amphetamine and cocaine use across Australia.
The hidden toll of 664 in five years was revealed in coroner's court figures commissioned by the Herald Sun. Two hundred died in Victoria. One of the most tragic cases was Stephanie Gracie, 18, of Altona. She died from an overdose after her boyfriend injected her with amphetamines. "I have not come to terms with it. The shuddering shock of seeing her lying there dead is still alive," Stephanie's father Cameron said. The coronial figures are based on drugs including amphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine and GHB. Unintentional overdose, suicide, motor vehicle tragedies, homicide and accidents – such as falls and drowning – were among cases listed. People who died of natural causes exacerbated by drug use were also included. The deaths are cases where drugs were listed as a primary, secondary or tertiary factor. The figures show: OVERDOSES caused more than half the deaths – 383. EIGHTY-three lives were lost to drug-related suicide. ROAD accidents linked to drugs killed 81. MORE than three-quarters of those who died were males. The drugs on which the statistics are based are regularly used by thousands of young Victorians. The figures come from cases where a coroner has made reference to the drugs' influence on a death or where toxicity levels are outside the "normal therapeutic range". Cases where the amount of the drug taken could have affected the judgment of the deceased are also included. But the real toll could be even higher, according to the National Coroners Information System. "This data set does not purport to be representative of all party drug-related deaths between the time period specified," it said in a disclaimer. "Due to occasional coding errors, some missing data and some cases not being closed, it is possible that there are relevant deaths not included in this data set." Stephanie Gracie's boyfriend Paul Anthony Toms, 34, was initially charged with manslaughter for injecting her. He was later sent to jail for a maximum six years on a charge of reckless conduct endangering life. Stephanie's mother Bronwyn said anyone who sold or handed over drugs which caused a fatal overdose should face trial on manslaughter. The coronial figures were obtained as paramedics report the use of the dangerous drug GHB remains high. They say between five and 15 people are admitted to hospital emergency wards each week after using the popular nightclub and rave drug. Metropolitan Ambulance Service paramedic Alan Eade said some were not breathing when emergency help arrived. "They end up in the emergency rooms on a ventilator," he said.
Pubdate: Wed, 18 January, 2006
Source: Herald Sun (Australia)
Author:
Website: http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/
1 Comments:
instead of 'overdosing' on ghb, it's possible they've just eaten too much kfc, because kfc uses ghb on it's chicken
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home