ECSTASY LINK TO MAN'S DEATH AT RAVE PARTY

A bad batch of illicit drugs may be to blame for the death of a young man
and the overdoses of at least 10 revellers at a rave party near Sydney over
the weekend.

Police were yesterday questioning a group of people after the 26-year-old
man slipped into a coma at the Happy Valley Full Moon festival.

He was one of 6000 revellers at the three-day rave in the Cataract Scout
Park near Appin, south-west of Sydney.

Paramedics tried to resuscitate the man after he was found collapsed in a
crowded campsite, but he died before he could be taken to hospital.

They also treated about 10 other people for drug overdoses.

An ambulance spokesman said although an autopsy was needed to determine the
cause of the man's death, it was suspected it may have been an overdose of
ecstasy, a popular drug at such parties.

Chief inspector Phil Holder warned a bad batch of drugs may have been sold
at the party.

"We are obviously concerned, because people have branched out from the
festival and have gone home," he said.

"It is very important that if they get ill to seek medical assistance."

Inspector Holder also said although there had been police at the festival
there was not much they could have done.

"Unfortunately, it seems to be a common occurrence these days that what
comes with things of that kind - dance parties, festivals - are
drug-related issues," he said.

A friend of the dead man said she believed he was on a cocktail of alcohol
and illicit drugs leading up to his death. "He'd been awake for three days
taking a lot of other drugs, drinking and dancing," said the distraught
19-year-old woman, who wished to be referred to as Jade. "But I think it
was probably the ecstasy."

Jade said she had left her friend for a few minutes to get them both water
and when she returned he was unconscious.

The man, who Jade would not name but referred to as a Sydney supermarket
manager, was a regular at dance parties.

Jade also defended the dance-party culture, saying this weekend's overdoses
and her friend's death were not the fault of rave party organisers.

"I don't think anything could have been done to prevent it (his death),"
she said.