Ecstasy over-reaction

By Will Williams

If you came across the headline "Valley of death", what would you imagine? A massacre? A hideous natural or un-natural disaster? In fact, the February 22 Sydney Morning Herald editorial under this headline was about the Happy Valley "rave" party in Sydney's west on February 18-20, at which a man died.

The editorial was part of a massive media beat-up against illegal drugs, ecstasy in particular. It quoted NSW Premier Bob Carr, "It has killed people in the past and it will kill them again".

The March 21 Bulletin, in an article titled "Dazed and confused", stated, "No one really knows how ecstasy affects your brain. It may unleash that psychiatric condition you didn't know you had."

While ecstasy does have some adverse effects, the Bulletin article cited statistics which proved that its own hype was an over-reaction. For example, less than 15 Australians have died from using ecstasy in the last decade.

A front-page article in the February 22 Sydney Morning Herald noted that one ecstasy-caused death was likely for every 60,000 users. By comparison, deaths from car and other accidents, violence and suicide occur at a rate of one per 2500 people.

The media reaction to events like in Happy Valley helps to manufacture support for government anti-drug policies and crackdowns on rave parties. What is needed instead is a public education campaign about the real effects of drugs so that people can make informed choices and minimise possible harm.

From GLW issue 398