Friday, October 29, 2004

Irma Perez' Killer Gets Just 5 Years

Anthony Rivera, 20, the only adult charged in the Bay Area Ecstasy death of 14-year-old Irma Perez has been sentenced to five years. Read the story here.

Irma got a death sentence. Her parents were sentenced to life without their daughter. In a couple years, Rivera will be back on the street ... perhaps selling drugs to junior high students again. What a shame.

Irma and two other 14-year-old girls took Ecstasy at a sleepover. The other two girls survived with only mental scars. (Cathy's Story in my film tells a similar story -- except 38 kids took ecstasy that Prom Night, and only Cathy died.)

A Victim Who Shares My View

I love what this man says. He absolutely reflects the approach I used in my film, True Stories of Ecstasy & Ketamine -- and as you can see by reading this story, THIS IS AN APPROACH THAT WORKS! This article very accurately reflects the thoughts that were going through my mind as I made the film -- the same Spirit moved us both!

Aberdeen Evening Express

'Treat them like adults and they will respond'
By Paul Betts

I began giving talks on drugs awareness after the death of my daughter. It came about as a result of me being ignorant to drugs and having for the rest of my life the guilt complex that, had I learnt and spoken to her, could I have changed history?

I thought it only fair that other parents and children be given the opportunity. Every single person in society has a role to play and should be educated in relation to drug misuse and abuse.

We carry about with us the stereotypical image of a smelly, spotty drug user, stealing to feed their habit. But it is wrong to think that.You cannot pick a drug user. You can generally identify someone who has been using drugs for a period of time because of the symptoms. But you cannot describe a drug user.

My daughter was well educated, good looking, clean-living and loved. She was at college and wanted to be a teacher. Why would I consider she would take drugs? She did not fit into my stereotype of a drug user.

Speak to any parent and unless they live within a drug-using society you always think the best of your kids. So you never speak to your kids about drugs. Ignorance is bliss. And you think if your kid is not involved, there is no reason to find out about it. That attitude breeds more misuse and abuse, because if your kids ask questions, you cannot answer.

So then they will turn to a friend, and the problem with a friend is they are only half educated. They may well only ever have been told how wonderful drugs are by someone who is trying to sell them some.

When I talk to people it is not a case of saying if you take drugs this will happen to you. All drugs attack the body, but they affect different people in different ways. Instead, when I give my talks, I can only pass on information. It is up to the individual whether they accept it.I never tell anybody not to take drugs. I hopefully give them enough facts that they themselves will want to say "no", or if they are dabbling they will find out more.

The title of my talk is 'The Choice Is Yours'. The talk on average is about two hours, and the feedback is that it goes very quickly. I used to be a teacher and I always remember learning should be fun, so I try to bring humour into it.

Over the last nine years, since Leah died, I have been into more than 3,500 schools, speaking to more than 2.75 million pupils and one million parents. It has been proven that, where I have been, drug misuse has actually fallen - so it does work.

It is not 100% effective because there is not one simple answer. If there was we would have found it.

The young people say to me I talk with them instead of down to them, and I take that as a compliment. I try to think if I was their age, what would work for me, and I try to inter-relate. I do not tell them not to do drugs. I tell them about the dangers. You have to look at both sides and only the individual can decide whether it is worth the risk. You use reasoning. When you treat them like an adult, they respond.

Monday, October 25, 2004

Australia Ravaged by Ecstasy

When I do a Nexis search (that's a search of thousands of newspapers worldwide) on the words "ecstasy and death," I'm always shocked at how many incidents are occuring in Australia. If you know anyone in Australia, please forward this to them and ask them to help me spread the word about the dangers of desginer drugs. Tell them to click here for more information.

Here's the latest Australian designer drug death, from the AAP, an Australian newswire:

Red Mitsubishi tablet linked to second death
By Lauren Ahwan

ADELAIDE, Oct 25: A second person has died after taking a tablet containing ecstasy and caffeine, known as a Red Mitsubishi.

Police today said the 28-year-old Adelaide man died in a motel yesterday. His death followed that of a Sydney teenager who took the drug earlier this month. At least 12 overdoses around Australia have been linked to the drug in recent weeks.

Contrary to previous reports, police no longer believe the tablets contained paramethoxy-amphetamine, or PMA -- only ecstasy and caffeine.

Notice how the deaths earlier were attributed to PMA? This happens all the time because of the misconception that ecstasy (MDMA) is safe. It's not. Ecstasy, just ecstasy, can kill you, just as it killed Cathy, who is profiled in my film.

DEX Death Brings Lawsuit

My next film, which I'm am trying very hard to raise funds for through the sales of my first film, will cover DXM (dextromethorphan, or "dex"), in addition to GHB and alcohol. This tragic story shows why it's so important to get the story out about the dangers of DXM:

Parents of student who died of overdose sue drug company


NEVADA, Iowa: The parents of an Iowa State University student who died in his dorm room of an accidental drug overdose have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a North Dakota chemical company.

Michael and Diana Babicz, of Palatine, Ill., filed the lawsuit in Story County District Court earlier this month. They claim LTK Research Products of Minot, N.D., sold their son a potentially dangerous chemical over the Internet.

Michael Babicz, 22, died in October, 2002, from an overdose of dextromethorphan, an ingredient found in cough medicine. He was found dead in his dorm room. Court records said dextromethorphan can be ingested as a recreational drug and can produce hallucinations similar to LSD or ecstasy.

The lawsuit claims the company sold dextromethorphan under the guise that it was selling to legitimate researchers.

Records show that Michael Babicz, a senior, purchased dextromethorphan powder on Sept. 9, 2002, from the Web site of LTK Research Products of Minot. His body was found on Oct. 10.

Saturday, October 23, 2004

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About E

This story from Australia is amazing! Read it and you'll understand exactly why some good kids make bad decisions ... and why some don't. I've added comments in bold red type.


Copyright 2004
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia)

October 18, 2004
Youngsters keep dicing with death - Danielle's fatal overdose fails to deter nightclubbers

YOUNG people partying at the venue where Danielle Chalon collapsed after taking a lethal ecstasy tablet remain remarkably unconcerned about the dangers of the drug.

Like 19-year-old Danielle, the 20 young people interviewed by The Daily Telegraph were at Kings Cross early yesterday morning for a fun time with friends.

Most had experimented with drugs, but none said they were regular users. It would appear from their responses, the tragic death of a teenage peer and the possibility they could be a victim of ecstasy are yet to hit home. None of those interviewed thought they could suffer the same fate as Danielle, who took half an ecstasy pill two weeks ago and later died in hospital of a brain haemorrhage. My film challenges kids on this idea in the chapter, "It can't happen to me."

One, 18-year-old Ali, who was with friends in Darlinghurst Rd, said she had never tried ecstasy but disregarded the dangers. "People die all the time," she said. "Part of the attraction is that it's dangerous."

Alex, 21, was waiting for a friend in Oxford St and made extraordinary claims about ecstasy use. "There is knowledge on how to use alcohol and with ecstasy, you just need the right amount of water and the right mixture," Alex said. Alex somehow thinks Ecstasy is like pharmaceuticals, made in highly controlled and monitored environments. It's not. Two pills can look exactly the same, but be completely different. Two pills that are exactly the same can effect two people completely differently.

Daniel, 25, went to great lengths to explain why he thought he could not die from taking ecstasy. "She must have had something wrong with her body before, if you are healthy it's not going to harm you that much," he said. All three of the Ecstasy victims in my film were healthy at the time of their tragedies. If there was something wrong with them, they sure didn't know it!

Angeline, 22, cheerfully said she believed she could trust the person who sold her drugs. "It's [Danielle's death] not affecting what we are doing. If you know the person and the source, it's OK," she said. Oh, so you'd trust a drug dealer? Someone who sells high-risk, potentially fatal, illegal products for profit?

For Jo, 21, Danielle's death has not affected her recreational use of "pills". "You feel so distant from it," she said. "Most people think they know their dealers so they trust them and take whatever they give them. You think it is never going to happen to you ... I know that that is the stupidest thing to think." Yes it is.

Others believed being with friends offered them safety. "I've tried it and it was awesome, I did it two years ago but it is not really my scene. When other people are taking it, you feel safe," Merryn, 22, said, as she stood with some friends outside an Oxford St nightclub. Not true. People on Ecstasy don't have good judgment; many have died when friends ignored their convulsions, put them outside in snow so they'd cool down, etc.

A handful of people, including Heidi, 20, said that they would never considering using drugs when they go out for a good time. "I have never found a need for drugs," she said. "I can have fun without it." Yay, Heidi!

But others had no such qualms about the risks of taking drugs. Jo added tellingly that most young people she knew seemed to believe that they were invincible. "I don't think it [Danielle's death] will have much effect," she said. "You feel so distant from [tragedies like] it."

Pills, thrills and the chemical generation

Alex, 21, student: "With ecstasy you just need to have the right amount of water and the right mixture. Obviously, she didn't do that." Not true. Reactions vary greatly ... and you can die from too much water!

Angeline, 22: "If you know the person [dealer] and the source, it's OK." Oh, so you toured the factory and certified all the ingredients?

Freya, 21"I have never taken it, but the proportion of deaths are so much lower than alcohol so I don't think it [her death] will be a deterrent." Fewer people die from Russion Roulette, too ... so does that mean we should play that for kicks, too?

Natalie, 20, student: "You never know with dealers what's in it. You have to be more wary."

Ed, 19: "I've done it once, I'd never do it again."

Heidi, 20, student"I have never found a need for drugs. But most of my friends, once they've tried it, haven't been able to get off it." Yes, you don't hear much about it, but Ecstasy addiction is real.

Male, 35, bouncer: "One of my friends has just come out of a psychiatric ward, that's what effect it had on her." By stripping serotonin from the brain, Ecstasy can cause depression and suicide. Nowdays it's being cited more and more often by defense attorneys, who attribute their clients' bizarre, even murderous behavior to Ecstasy use.

382 Stories of Tragedy

The three posts below come from just the first page of a Nexis search of media stories matching the criteria "ecstasy, ketamine, GHB, DEX, death." The search engine found 382 matching stories in just the last week!

The stories pour in from all over the world, as young people everywhere take these drugs with so little understanding of the risk, as parents everywhere think, "Oh, no, not my kid!" -- only to find out that, oh yes, it certainly could be.

To find out more, and to get what may be the most powerful tool you can use to protect your loved ones, or yourself, please log on now to www.VoiceOfTheVictims.com.

An Oxycontin tragedy in Wisconsin

Oxycontin abuse is just another bad choice our kids make because of lack of believable information on which to base their lifestyle choices.

Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI)

October 18, 2004

HAPPIER ENDINGS;THAT'S WHAT MOTHER OF GIRL WHO DIED FROM OVERDOSE SEEKS FOR OTHER PARENTS

Julie Zdeblick's bedroom was the place she loved most in the world, and it is imbued with her personality.

Her pencil drawings and collages adorn the vibrant red walls. A palette of dried paint sits on a table near a poem she wrote to honor the Earth.

She had just finished a silk-screen print for a school art exhibit. It rests against a wall, as do her guitar and electric bass.

"There were lots of good things waiting to come," said her mother, Catherine Zdeblick.

"That's why I'm so angry."Julie, 17 and a junior at Middleton High School, died March 6 of an overdose of the drug Oxycontin.

Ecstasy Leads to Murder of Family

And so many teens continue to think there's little or no risk in taking Ecstasy!

Chicago Tribune
October 20, 2004 Wednesday Northwest Final Edition

Son's sanity at issue in deaths; Westchester teen accused in slayings
By Brett McNeil, Tribune staff reporter.

RICHLAND CENTER, Wis. : On the opening day of a trial that will determine whether Steven M. Tomporowski, 19, of Westchester was sane when he killed his parents and uncle here in February, the chief prosecutor portrayed him as a calculating if immature murderer who acted out of greed.

"Mr. Tomporowski is a cold and unfeeling person who killed his parents for their money and tried to get away," said Richland County District Atty. Andrew Sharp. "He wanted to be free of his parents and he wanted their assets, so he killed them and took their assets."

Tomporowski, known by his childhood nickname, "Stevie," has admitted shooting his father, Stephen, 52; mother, Deborah, 48; and uncle, Roger, 56, inside a family farmhouse 10 miles north of the rural southwest Wisconsin county seat. He fled the scene in his mother's car and hours later ransacked his family's Westchester home, taking $1,657 in cash, cell phones, five loaded handguns and the family dog.

When he was arrested in Kentucky two days later, police found that Tomporowski also had taken his uncle's and mother's credit cards.

... In a statement to police after his arrest, Tomporowski attributed the murders to his longtime heavy use of drugs, including LSD and ecstasy.

GHB dealer dies from GHB; jail sued

Even though it's easy to think this guy got his just deserts, it shows how little some medical and law enforcement personnel know about treating GHB.

FAILURE TO TREAT GHB WITHDRAWAL ALLEGED
Tampa Tribune 10/19/04

The family of a 28-year-old Pasco County jail inmate who died eight days after his 2002 arrest has sued the sheriff's office, alleging wrongful death and violation of civil rights.

James Michael Chaney died after corrections officers and jail medical staff failed to properly treat his withdrawal from gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, or GHB, also known as a date rape drug, alleges the lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Tampa.

When Chaney, accused of trafficking in GHB, was booked into the Land O' Lakes jail Nov. 13, 2002, he told deputies he was addicted to the drug and that he had used GHB and ecstasy immediately before his arrest, the lawsuit states.

Jail nurses failed to conduct a "sufficient medical screening" of Chaney, didn't note that the inmate was shaking and failed to provide any medical treatment, according to the lawsuit. At one point a delusional Chaney was forcibly placed in a cell and later, on his way to the medical unit when he began acting "irrational," was thrown to the ground by a corrections officer, the suit says.

Friday, October 22, 2004

Welcome to Voice of the Victims

Hi, it's Beth. Many of you may know me from my film, "Voice of the Victims: True Stories of Ecstasy & Ketamine." Tens of thousands of you have visited my web site, www.VoiceOfTheVictims.com.

I started this blog because I'm so frustrated that I'm not reaching more people who need to know about the risks and dangers of designer drugs.
I started this blog because the mainstream media would rather cover tragedies than solutions.
I started this blog because too many parents think, "Not my kid!"
I started this blog because too many kids think, "It won't happen to me."

And I started this blog because there's so much more to tell. I'm working on my second film, "Voice of the Victims: True Stories of GHB, DXM and Alcohol," but if the world doesn't care enough to get the first film into the hands of those who so desperately need it, why should I sacrifice my family life ... and me ... to make a second one?

In the days ahead, I'll be sharing thoughts, inspirations, tragedies and facts on this blog. Please bookmark it as a favorite and visit it often. Please email it to your friends. PLEASE WORK WITH ME TO HELP SAVE THESE PRECIOUS LIVES!