DOING DRUGS WITH
PAUL DILLON

Sadly, once again, we have recently seen a number of young people dying at music festivals after reportedly taking drugs. Around this time every year, just as the summer season is about to begin, we hear of either a tragic death or a spate of overdoses occurring. Let me start by saying that I can't begin to imagine what the families of these young people must go through. Not only have they just lost a loved one but at the same time they are suddenly thrust into the media spotlight and expected to provide some sort of commentary on issues they know little or nothing about (most of them having no idea that their child had ever taken drugs), all at a time when all they should be doing is be given time to grieve. The death is tragic enough but the 'ripple-effect' on the family and friends can be devastating … Fatalities linked to dance events first hit the headlines in 1995 with the ecstasy-related death of a 15-year-old Sydney schoolgirl who had attended an underground 

Many parents would have recently read about the death of a young man at Schoolies on the Gold Coast. The 18-year-old from Sydney died after falling from a balcony of an apartment and, according to reports, had been drinking with friends and apparently ingesting nitrous oxide. The use of nitrous is better known as 'nanging'. Although there has been no confirmation by authorities that nitrous had indeed been used by the young man, the media leapt onto the story and, as a result, there have been lots of questions asked about 'nanging' and just how big a problem this is amongst our young people. If you want to know if young people are nanging in your area all you need to do is walk through your local park early on a Sunday morning before the cleaners have been and take a look around the rubbish bins or the trees. If it is (and to be honest, I don't think there are many places around the country where it isn't!), you're more than likely to see a number of use