Two people are in induced comas and 14 others recovering in hospital from drug overdoses, and police fear it is from new “zombie” drug called flakka, America’s scariest drug.
Flakka is believed to be behind a spate of drug overdoses on Queensland’s Gold Coast over the weekend. Called ‘the scariest drug in America’, it causes users to hallucinate, suffer seizures, leap from balconies and allegedly commit murder – for as little as AUD$7.50 a hit.
It is believed users are being told that the drug they are taking is MDMA, a common recreational drug. But after taking it, they soon realise the effect is completely different. The drug is made from Alpha-PVP and is a crystalline white or pink substance resembling gravel that can be swallowed smoked, snorted, injected, or vaporised to produce effects.
According to The Daily Mail, the spate of overdoses, all with similar symptoms, has left police and emergency services bracing for a “zombie apocalypse” at two major upcoming Gold Coast events – the V8 Supercars which starts this weekend, and Schoolies next month.
Other community and drug awareness groups are also starting to panic about what this could mean for the thousands of teens about to descend on Gold Coast and Byron Bay for Schoolies. #IAmDrugFree campaign posted this on its Facebook page over the weekend as the numbers of people overdosing started to climb. It’s a call for parents and teachers to talk to their children about staying away from drugs during Schoolies. The video itself is quite shocking.
With the help of the local ambulance service, Yahoo has listed how the Gold Coast’s horror drug weekend unfolded over 48 hours.
Saturday, just after midnight: Paramedics treat three males celebrating an end of year football trip at the Islander Hotel. One of the men went into respiratory distress and remains in a critical condition.
Saturday 7:39am: Four males and one female were found drug affected at Mermaid Waters residence.
Sunday 12:37am: 24-year-old woman found ‘hallucinating’ at Shooters nightclub.
1:27am: Another woman needed to be sedated on Orchid Avenue.
2:09am: 22-year-old man treated on Cavill Avenue.
2:42am: Paramedics called to Sin City nightclub to attend to 18-year-old woman.
2:36am: Another reveller treated at Melbas nightclub.
3:11am: Ambulances services return to Sin City to treat 20-year-old woman.
4:30am: 25-year-old man found drug affected inside hotel room on Cavill Avenue.
Another man was treated by paramedics in the suburb of Labrador, but had previously been partying in the Surfers Paradise area.
