TEEN TRIPPERS TRYING DANGEROUS "NATURAL" DRUG

A powerful new hallucinogenic drug has hit NSW's coastal strip, with
teenagers smoking parts of a "very common native tree" in ritual
ceremonies, a drug expert warned yesterday.

Known as DMT, the drug is also being manufactured synthetically as a
white crystal called dimethyltryptamine and is "so underground" that
its price and availability are unknown.

Mr Paul Dillon, spokesman for the National Drug and Alcohol Research
Centre, said drug educators were extremely concerned that information
on dangerous drugs such as DMT was freely available on unregulated
Internet sites.

Before the explosion of Internet information, designer drugs had taken
about two years to reach Australia, but were now being seen "in a
matter of months".

"One of the Net sites says as soon as you take it [DMT], you need some
cushions behind you because you fall over," Mr Dillon said.

In recent months, teachers and police had reported frightened
teenagers on DMT "running through fields" and several drug
laboratories had been discovered.

DMT has been confined largely to the State's coastal strip, where the
tree is found. Drug educators refuse to release the tree's name,
fearing it would encourage experimentation by teenagers.

"It's an incredibly powerful drug," Mr Dillon said. "They tend to use
it in ceremonial situations, much like young people play with Ouija
boards."

The Minister for Health, Dr Refshauge, said: "This is a dangerous drug
that takes effect very quickly, dramatically increasing heart rate and
blood pressure. The effect is both strong and unpleasant, prompting
fear and paranoia."

Mr Dillon said naturally occurring hallucinogenic drugs were becoming
more popular in Australia among risk-taking teenagers, because of a
false perception that "natural highs" from drugs such as DMT, datura
and mescaline were less harmful than synthetic drugs.

DMT causes intense visual hallucinations and powerful "trips" lasting
10 minutes followed by milder effects for another 30 minutes,
according to the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
One Internet site says the drug "tastes like burning plastic" and
after 30 seconds to one minute, "users believe their heart or
breathing has stopped".

After one to five minutes, users report "DMT hyperspace" and "alien
music".

Few studies had been conducted on DMT, but it has been known on the
British dance club scene for two years.

NSW Health says that signs of drug-taking in adolescents include
unusual behavior change over a long period, mood swings, secrecy,
trouble at school or with police, a sudden change of friends, an
unexplained need for money and increasing isolation.

Checked-by: trikydik@inil.com (trikydik)