It was a weekend of drug-induced chaos for Gold Coast paramedics as they were called to a spate of overdoses and drug-related incidents – and now Victorian footballer Riki Stephens is in a coma, with some reports saying he is fighting for his life.
The drug believed to be responsible for this spate is being called “flakka” – but at this stage it has not been confirmed. Some reports suggest that it may well have been caused by a really potent form of MDMA.
Riki Stephens and his Heathcote Saints teammates were on an end-of-season holiday when he ingested a drug at a pub on the weekend. Friends are posting on Riki’s Facebook page and apparently his parents and girlfriend are by his side in the hospital.
Riki Stephens. PHOTO: Facebook
Whatever it is, a potentially fatal drug has hit the Gold Coast streets at a time when the area is gearing up for two huge events – the V8 Supercars and Schoolies, and paramedics and the police would be extremely worried.
And here’s another problem. If it is “flakka”, it’s dirt cheap. For less than $10, users can get high, which is a whole lot cheaper than buying, say, a tray-load of beer or cider. Although it’s likely that the drug is being sold here for more and passed off as something less deadly.
So what is “flakka”?
Pedestrian gives one of the best descriptions. Parents, have a read and then a long chat with your kids about it.
The pop culture site says if it is flakka that’s caused the hospitalisations and it is actually flooding into Australia, here’s what we need to know.
It’s a drug made from alpha-PVP, a fairly nasty chemical, that gives users a standard stimulant high characterised by intense feelings of euphoria, rapid heart rate and increased alertness, but it can also cause paranoia and aggressive behaviour. Some users allege it also causes intense hallucinations.
Pedestrian adds that “it can also dangerously raise the body’s temperature and cause kidney failure” and if mixed with alcohol consumption the negative side effects are greatly enhanced.
The Sydney Morning Herald spoke with Geoff Munro, Alcohol and Drug Foundation national policy manager who said flakka was “essentially a research chemical” that had been untested on humans.
He described it as a “powerful, euphoric stimulant” and “potent amphetamine” similar to ecstasy, but with more extreme effects.
“People might feel euphoric: it’s going to elevate their heart rate, their temperature, it can produce hyper stimulation, it can produce panic, disorientation, paranoia and aggression,” he said.
Police are awaiting toxicology tests to formally identify the substance which has resulted in users hallucinating and exhibiting bizarre behaviour.
