TEENS WARNED OF DEADLY DESIGNER DRUGS

Victorian police today warned teenagers of the deadly effects of bogus
ecstasy tablets being sold in several Melbourne nightclubs.

Detective Inspector John McKoy said there was a growing pill-popping
culture in nightclubs, with some owners and operators actively involved in
drugs sales.

He said tablets being passed off as the designer drug ecstasy actually
contained other drugs, such as heroin and the hallucinogenic drug LSD.

Major seizures of ecstasy by federal authorities had caused a shortage of
the designer drug so manufacturers of amphetamines had switched to making
bogus ecstasy, he said.

With sales of $30 to $50 a tablet, the drug producers had increased their
profit margin tenfold, he said.

Insp McKoy said the producers were 'parasites' whose only motive was making
money.

He said in the past six months police had raided drug-making factories in
Melbourne and had seized tens of thousands of pills.

A major crackdown would be made on nightclubs in the next six months.