TEENS FRANTIC AS FRIEND DIES OF OVERDOSE

TWO Brisbane teenagers frantically tried to save their friend as he lay
dying on their couch from a suspected heroin overdose on Saturday.

Thanh Nguyen, 16, of Inala, was one of seven serious overdoses attended to
by Brisbane ambulance officers on Saturday night.

Friends and family said yesterday Thanh, a TAFE landscaplng student, had
battled an addiction to prescription drugs and marijuana in the months
before his death.

Ambulance officers said the weekend callouts related to overdoses of
heroin, amphetamines and headache tablets.

A dealer was charged with supplying amphetamines on Saturday to a man who
was later admitted to hospital for a suspected speed overdose.

Thanh's friends said he had been expelled from two local high schools for
truancy and fighting that they believe was drug-induced.

Sarnie Vo, 18, and Nhat Nguyen, 17, (no relation) said Thanh went to sleep
shortly after arriving at their Inala home on Saturday night.

Mr Nguyen said he realised his friend was in trouble when he went to wake
him for dinner several hours later.

"He had been snoring and everything but I went to wake him I noticed he had
bubbles coming from his mouth and we took him into the bathroom and poured
cold water over him," he said.

Inala police said they were investigating the death and the State Drug
investigation Group had caled for a report on the weekend's incidents from
the ambulance service.

Other overdoses were reported at Inala, Auchenflower, New Farm, Mt Gravatt
and Fortitude Valley.