Ten Persons Hospitalized for Drug Overdose After New Year Bash in Melbourne

Ten youngsters had to be hospitalized for drug overdose after New Year bash in Melbourne, Australia.

More than 40 people were caught with drugs at the 'Summadayze' festival at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl yesterday.

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The New Year's Day incident follows similar problems involving a large number of youths who became seriously ill after taking GHB at a rave party in Melbourne less than two weeks ago.

"They weren't pretty pictures that people saw on the news, but I mean really I don't know what more we can do, I don't know what more the event organisers can do," ambulance service operations manager Paul Holman told AAP.

"They work closely with us, they have first aid gear, they have paramedics there, they have police there and still these young people don't heed the warnings.

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"All we can say is don't take these drugs, you are going to get hurt."

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a depressant drug that carries a high risk of overdose and can cause respiratory failure.

On Thursday night, two serious overdose cases needed to have a tube inserted to help them breathe, Mr Holman said.

"We'll just have to wait and see how many recover and get out of hospital and what damage they've done in the meantime, God only knows," he said.

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"We're really trying to get the message out there to young people this is a bad drug, it's going to hurt you. Grievous bodily harm by street name and that's exactly what it does to you."

Mr Holman said the Summadayze organisers had done a "terrific" job to minimise harm to patrons.

"It is disappointing that despite everyone's best efforts we still finished up with 10 people being taken to hospital," he said.

Another partygoer from the Summadayze event was taken to hospital with a fractured ankle.

Source-Medindia
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