ECSTASY USERS COULD ACCOUNT FOR NEW ALZHEIMER'S CASES

Partygoers who popped ecstasy pills could cause an avalanche of future
Alzheimer's patients, the Federal Government said today.

Trish Worth, parliamentary secretary to the health minister, said many
revellers were turning to party drugs such as ecstasy, speed and ice
with no regard to the long-term effects on their brain.

She said experts had advised her that ecstasy and related drugs could
cause Alzheimer's disease later in life.

"Experts tell me they don't really know enough about it, maybe having
quite serious impacts on the brain and there may be an avalanche of
people in the future with Alzheimer's disease as a result," she said.

People who used psychostimulants such as ecstasy and speed became more
aggressive than heroin users, posing problems for their families,
friends and police, she said.

"Although heroin has some terrible consequences, somebody whose dosed
up on heroin is likely to be fairly quiet but unfortunately with a
psychostimulant and the use of some of these party drugs, young people
in particular can become quite aggressive."

The lack of heroin in the market may be to blame for the uptake in
party drugs which can be made locally.

"A lot of these psychostimulants can be manufactured just in a shed or
a hotel room here in Australia," Ms Worth said.

"We need to promote that it's not just an exciting drug to have at a
party but it can give fairly unwanted consequences."

Neal Blewett, president of the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of
Australia (ADCA), said drugs went in and out of fashion.

Heroin was on the decline and the number of drug overdose deaths had
halved between 2000 and 2001.

"As we know drugs go in and out of fashion," Dr Blewett said.

"The evidence is pointing towards an increase in amphetamine related
areas."

Dr Blewett said there was a need to remind young people of the health
consequences of using party drugs at rave parties.

Amphetamines appeared not to have the same long term effects as
heroin, Dr Blewett said, but experts were still unsure.

"We need to be very careful in the way we address these issues for
young people and therefore to talk very sensibly... rather than in an
alarmist or over the top way," Dr Blewett said.

He said the government's rhetoric was sometimes in conflict with its
policies.

"Sometimes I think its rhetoric is too tough in public but on the
ground I think it has very realistic policies and it's put very
generous amounts into those policies."