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MEDIA RELEASE NICK XENOPHON M.L.C. INDEPENDENT NO POKIES MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
POLICE AND MEDICOS RESPONSE TO POORAKA PARTY NOTHING TO RAVE ABOUT
● ‘Testing’ of party drugs
sends the wrong message and gives a false sense of security to young people.
● Police should explain why they
turn a blind eye to illicit drug use and fail to confiscate from users.
No
Pokies MLC Nick Xenophon has joined with outspoken drug treatment provider Anne
Bressington (of Drugbeat) to criticise the response of Police and some doctors
over the Pooraka rave party on the weekend. Mr Xenophon was critical of the ‘drug testing’ carried out at the Rave party
by Royal Adelaide Hospital’s Dr Dave Caldicott and other medical staff from
the RAH Medical Centre as “giving a false sense of security” to patrons at the event. “Even if this stuff doesn’t
contain Ratsak or Draino it is still dangerous, with potentially long term
consequences for users. Drugs such
as Ecstasy and Meth-amphetamines even in a ‘pure’ unadulterated form can
have devastating short term effects such as heart failure and death, and long
term consequences including the onset of potentially life threatening psychotic
episodes.” Mr Xenophon said he welcomed the fact that AMA State President, Dr Christopher
Cain, had distanced the AMA from the testing and warned of the dangers of
Ecstasy use. Mr Xenophon called on Police Minister, Kevin Foley to obtain a ‘please
explain’ from Police Commissioner Mal Hyde over the Police’s apparent
lack of action at the Pooraka party and why drugs weren’t confiscated off
users. “The Police confiscate your car if
you do a burn-out, but if you have drugs that can burn out your brain why
don’t they act and confiscate the stuff?” Mr Xenophon also referred to information he obtained from Anne Bressington today
following her attendance at a recent drug harm prevention conference in
Written and authorised by Nick Xenophon, 653 Lower North East Road, Paradise, SA 5075
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