As Schoolies celebrations in South Australia draw near, authorities are issuing urgent warnings about potentially deadly batches of drugs circulating in the market.
This year’s festival, set to begin this Friday, is expected to attract thousands of year 12 students to Victor Harbor.
Authorities are warning pills sold as ecstasy or MDMA can frequently be laced with other unknown substances and it’s impossible to know the potency or what exactly users are ingesting.
One particular synthetic opioid, Nitazene, has raised alarm due to its potency, which can be greater than that of heroin.
Nitazene can cause shallow breathing, loss of consciousness and even death.
Queensland has introduced pill testing for Schoolies on the Gold Coast, but the measure remains illegal in South Australia.
The Australian Medical Association stands by pill testing as the best way to educate people about the risks of what they’re about to take.
