PARTY DRUGS SPREADING THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA

The first national study of the market for party drugs in Australia shows
newer types of drugs have spread further than experts previously thought.

The results of the first Party Drug Initiative Study, designed to spot
trends in drug use, are being released today.

It has found drugs like GHB and Ketamine, which were already known to be
available in New South Wales, have spread to Tasmania, the Northern
Territory and Western Australia.

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre is the major contributor to
the study.

Spokesman Paul Dillon says ecstasy users often mix their drugs, and they
now have more dangerous options.

"Many people believe it increases the potential positive benefits, but of
course what it really does is increases the risk of something going wrong,"
he said.

"I think it is definitely a concern that we're seeing these newer drugs on
the market and that they are being picked up by some party drug users
across the country, particularly a drug like GHB, which we know has great
risk potential for overdose and we have had a number of deaths from that drug."

Mr Dillon says more needs to be done to let drug users know about the
dangers of combining party drugs.