Pubdate: Thu, 28 Sep 2006
Source: Courier-Mail, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2006 Queensland Newspapers
Contact: http://thecouriermail.com.au/extras/forms/letter.htm
Website: http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/98
Author: Vincent Morello
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mdma.htm (Ecstasy)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

MOST ECSTASY TABLETS 'ARE TAINTED'

SOCIAL drug users who believe they are taking the  popular party drug
ecstasy are probably swallowing the  much more toxic methamphetamine
known as ice, a  Melbourne paramedic says.

Alan Eade, from the Melbourne Metropolitan Ambulance  Service, told
the inaugural Australasian  Methamphetamine Conference in Sydney today
that he  wanted to "dispel a few myths" about Australia's most  recent
drug craze.

Australia is one of 13 countries, eight of which are in  the East Asia
and Pacific region, that ranks  amphetamine-type stimulants as the
most abused drug.

"There are truckloads of people using methamphetamines  whether they
know it or not," Mr Eade said.

"Almost all of the seizure data tells us that the  "ecstasy' pills are
so highly contaminated that you're  probably swallowing (ice) and if
you found some  (ecstasy), you were lucky."
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MAP posted-by: Derek