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."