Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A bit of a change of pace because we know
that the Royal Australian College of GPS is calling on
state and territory governments to implement pill testing to save
lives amid warnings about a dangerous synthetic opioid. Now it
comes after the AFP raised concerns about nitazine, a drug
stronger than fentanyl and hundreds of times more potent than
(00:23):
a heroine. It's understood nitozine was recently detected in fake pharmaceuticals,
including counterfeit pain medications by Queensland's Drug Testing Service and
last month, well that last month which had ceased operating.
Now we also know that we've got music festival based
in the Grass happening this weekend. And joining us on
(00:46):
the line is the Royal Australian College of GPS Alcohol
and Drug spokesperson, Doctor Marguerite Tracy. Good morning to you,
doctor Tracy.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Oh, good morning Katie. Lovely to be with you.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
You're lovely to have you on the show. Now, First,
what exactly is nitozine?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Well, I think you described it really well. Actually it's
a really strong opioid drug and we know that opioid
medications are predominantly used for you know, severe pain and
acute pain, and we know it works really well. You know,
if you've got a broken limb more you've had just
had surgery, that it helps quite a lot to relieve
(01:24):
pain for a short period of time. And so we've
used opioids for a long time, and heroin is also
another opioid. So then I think people are quite aware
that you know, sentinel has been an issue in the
US and contaminating their drug supply, and that's much stronger
than heroin and other opioids, and that we tend to
(01:47):
pre usually prescribe. And then nitozines us much stronger again,
and there are a whole different all different types of nitazines,
but they're all much stronger, much stronger opioid yep.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
And so how dangerous is that, you know, when people
are using it not for its intended purpose.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Well, it's not really ever an intended purpose, partly because
these drugs were created decades ago and found to be
just too strong and too dangerous to use clinically. And
so but what we found now is that they're contaminating
the drug supply of other things that people are intending
(02:29):
to take. It's not just heroine that's being contaminated with nazines.
We've found it in as you mentioned, benzodiazpins, fake other
tablets that people are taking, but cocaine and phetamines, cannabis liquid,
you name it. We're found all around Australia in lots
of different substances. And so the issue with that is
(02:51):
that if you're expecting to take something that's going to
have one effect, the nazine that's in that can cause
an opioid overdose, so it reduces your to breathe and
you can stop breathing and die from it.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Wow. I mean to me, it sounds like a frightening,
frightening thing. Do you know if it's been detected here
in the Northern Territory.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I believe it was found in a recent hall of
drugs that they found with a person who had a
whole bunch of substances and one of those was unnamed
pharmaceuticals which contained magazines. So it was on its way
into the system. Yep.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yeah, right. And so I mean when you talk about
something like this and you talk about then you know,
pill testing, when we've got festivals and things on, why
do you think that pill testing is important and what
impact could it have if people are able to test
you know, what they're planning to take.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
There's lots of benefits we've found to pill testing, both
some fixed sight testing that's in the ac TEA, but
also increasingly lots of jurisdictions around Australia are implementing trials
or doing it regularly. Now we just you know, it's
just happened in New South Wales, which is great. We've
had our first festival pill testing and what it means
(04:17):
for people on the ground is that not everyone who
goes to a festival, not everyone that's going to go
to base in the grass is planning to use and
we know that from a previous you know, some published
studies that have been that were done in the Northern Territory.
There's only about twelve percent of people who are planning
to use drugs at that occasion. But if they are,
think if they've got a substance with them, they can
(04:39):
go to a confidential tent have their substance tested and
sure it's still not one hundred percent, we know that,
but what it means is that they can get some
advice on what's in that tablet or substance that they're
planning to use, and they can choose to relinquish it,
(05:00):
to choose to leave it in a bin there, and
we can do some more testing on that and find
out what's going on in the system. But they can
also get some personal advice if they're worried about their substance.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Use.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
It's a place where you can seek help and get
put in touch with services, and it benefits anyone else
who's with them who's got that substance. They can let
them know as well that something unexpected has potentially been
found in that substance, and they can also choose not
to take that.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I know, it's always a really tough one, Marguerite, because
there's some people that look at it and go, you know, well,
this is an illegal substance. They shouldn't be able to
you know, there shouldn't be pill testing because they shouldn't
be taking it in the first place, And like, I
totally get that, But then what I worry about is
that you will have you know, you will have people
still taking these things and they'll, you know, like they're
(05:51):
gonna they're going to wind up in a very dangerous
situation if they take something that isn't what they may
be intended to take absolutely.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
And look, the College isn't condoning substance use, but we
are saying this is a health issue, right, So if
people use substances, they use alcohol, they use all sorts
of things in all sorts of ways, and as gps
where they're to support people and to help them use
any substance if they're going to choose to use it
as safely as possible. So this is harm reduction and
(06:24):
it's one of a lot of things we can do.
Pill testing is one of those, but medically supervised use
ven use the looxone, which is actually the treatment if
someone else a nose spray or injection that is free
from the chemist without a script. That you know, we
should be widely supporting and letting everyone know they can
(06:45):
get hold of this, and that's another way to reduce
the potential harms of substances like this.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
And so is it something that people take if there
may be are overdosed, or if they've or if they've
had an issue or what's the what's what a nose
spry one?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah, So the lock soon or we sometimes called it
take home the lock zone, has been around for a
long time. It's becoming increasingly available in Australia, so certainly
in the Northern Territory and some of your you know,
the primary outlets that you guys have up there say
on their website that you can get it over the counter.
(07:23):
It's if someone stops breathing, or if they're breathing very
shallowly and they've taken a substance whether Look, we would
have said in the past, if they've taken an opioid,
then then we know that that's what's happening. They're potentially
having an overdose, so they're falling asleep on it and
they're not breathing properly. You can use this nose spray
(07:45):
very simply and it will reverse that drug in their system.
The complex with more complication I will put in there
is that with nightazines, we're finding that some people need
multiple doses. Yeah, because it's so strong. So if someone
has that fantastic everyone you know is everyone who knows
(08:08):
anyone in their life, even that uses substances. You can
go to a chemist, get in the locks home and
if you've got it there and if someone needs it,
call an ambulance as well. Please. Yeah, So make sure
that you get that ongoing help just in case it's
one of these very strong opioids.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Yeah, now, if you have just joined us, we are
indeed joined on the show by the Royal Australian College
of GPS Alcohol and Other Drugs spokesperson Doctor Marguerite Tracy.
Doctor Tracy tell us what else would the Royal Australian
College of GPS like to see when it comes to
keeping people safe from opioids or in the event you
(08:45):
know that they witness an overdose or you know, yeah,
when they're out maybe at these different events.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
I think you know, we will always want people to
look after each other. We we don't like people using
any substance by themselves. You know, it increases the dangers.
If you haven't got a friend with you to help
you out, that puts you at increased risk of danger.
We tell people to start low and go slow. So
(09:17):
if people are taking a new substance, to use a
very small amount of it to see what you know,
what they're taking. And if people are struggling with substance youth,
see your GP seek help. All of those I mentioned.
I think you guys have got primary outlets in the
(09:41):
Northern Territory and Darwin Palmerston Alla Springs as well, and
that would certainly be able to provide advice online advice.
But yep, you can see your GP and get referred.
And we're certainly advocating for really good funding of alcohol
and other drug services. I just heard when I was
sitting on the line there's millions headed towards that in
(10:03):
the Northern Territory and that's a really positive thing.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Yeah, look, I agree. What is your message this morning
for the Northern Territory government around this pill testing and
around you know, alcohol and other drugs.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Look, the College is really keen to support to support
having fixed tests but also festival drug testing, ensuring that
nolocton is widely available and lots of people know about it,
that there's safe places for people to use, and that
people are aware that they can get support from their GPS.
(10:39):
And we want to make sure that if they go
to their GPS and need help, that they've got really
well funded specialist alcohol and other drugs support services as well.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Well. Doctor Marguerite Tracy, I really appreciate your time this morning.
I think it's a really interesting discussion to have. And
as I said earlier, I know some people will be
all for these others will be concerned about it, but
I think it is a really important discussion to have.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Yeah. Look, I think just remember that it could be
your relative, your child, your friend, or your colleague colleague,
and this is a health issue. And you know, as
I said, we don't condone or support substances. We want
people who use it to use it safely and not
come to harm.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Yeah, I agree with you. Well, thank you so very
much for your time this morning. The Royal Australian College
of GPS, Alcohol and Other Drug spokesperson, Doctor Marguerite Tracy, thank.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
You, thank you, NYE.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Have a good day for you two.
A bit of a change of pace because we know
that the Royal Australian College of GPS is calling on
state and territory governments to implement pill testing to save
lives amid warnings about a dangerous synthetic opioid. Now it
comes after the AFP raised concerns about nitazine, a drug
stronger than fentanyl and hundreds of times more potent than
(00:23):
a heroine. It's understood nitozine was recently detected in fake pharmaceuticals,
including counterfeit pain medications by Queensland's Drug Testing Service and
last month, well that last month which had ceased operating.
Now we also know that we've got music festival based
in the Grass happening this weekend. And joining us on
(00:46):
the line is the Royal Australian College of GPS Alcohol
and Drug spokesperson, Doctor Marguerite Tracy. Good morning to you,
doctor Tracy.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Oh, good morning Katie. Lovely to be with you.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
You're lovely to have you on the show. Now, First,
what exactly is nitozine?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Well, I think you described it really well. Actually it's
a really strong opioid drug and we know that opioid
medications are predominantly used for you know, severe pain and
acute pain, and we know it works really well. You know,
if you've got a broken limb more you've had just
had surgery, that it helps quite a lot to relieve
(01:24):
pain for a short period of time. And so we've
used opioids for a long time, and heroin is also
another opioid. So then I think people are quite aware
that you know, sentinel has been an issue in the
US and contaminating their drug supply, and that's much stronger
than heroin and other opioids, and that we tend to
(01:47):
pre usually prescribe. And then nitozines us much stronger again,
and there are a whole different all different types of nitazines,
but they're all much stronger, much stronger opioid yep.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
And so how dangerous is that, you know, when people
are using it not for its intended purpose.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Well, it's not really ever an intended purpose, partly because
these drugs were created decades ago and found to be
just too strong and too dangerous to use clinically. And
so but what we found now is that they're contaminating
the drug supply of other things that people are intending
(02:29):
to take. It's not just heroine that's being contaminated with nazines.
We've found it in as you mentioned, benzodiazpins, fake other
tablets that people are taking, but cocaine and phetamines, cannabis liquid,
you name it. We're found all around Australia in lots
of different substances. And so the issue with that is
(02:51):
that if you're expecting to take something that's going to
have one effect, the nazine that's in that can cause
an opioid overdose, so it reduces your to breathe and
you can stop breathing and die from it.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Wow. I mean to me, it sounds like a frightening,
frightening thing. Do you know if it's been detected here
in the Northern Territory.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I believe it was found in a recent hall of
drugs that they found with a person who had a
whole bunch of substances and one of those was unnamed
pharmaceuticals which contained magazines. So it was on its way
into the system. Yep.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Yeah, right. And so I mean when you talk about
something like this and you talk about then you know,
pill testing, when we've got festivals and things on, why
do you think that pill testing is important and what
impact could it have if people are able to test
you know, what they're planning to take.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
There's lots of benefits we've found to pill testing, both
some fixed sight testing that's in the ac TEA, but
also increasingly lots of jurisdictions around Australia are implementing trials
or doing it regularly. Now we just you know, it's
just happened in New South Wales, which is great. We've
had our first festival pill testing and what it means
(04:17):
for people on the ground is that not everyone who
goes to a festival, not everyone that's going to go
to base in the grass is planning to use and
we know that from a previous you know, some published
studies that have been that were done in the Northern Territory.
There's only about twelve percent of people who are planning
to use drugs at that occasion. But if they are,
think if they've got a substance with them, they can
(04:39):
go to a confidential tent have their substance tested and
sure it's still not one hundred percent, we know that,
but what it means is that they can get some
advice on what's in that tablet or substance that they're
planning to use, and they can choose to relinquish it,
(05:00):
to choose to leave it in a bin there, and
we can do some more testing on that and find
out what's going on in the system. But they can
also get some personal advice if they're worried about their substance.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Use.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
It's a place where you can seek help and get
put in touch with services, and it benefits anyone else
who's with them who's got that substance. They can let
them know as well that something unexpected has potentially been
found in that substance, and they can also choose not
to take that.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I know, it's always a really tough one, Marguerite, because
there's some people that look at it and go, you know, well,
this is an illegal substance. They shouldn't be able to
you know, there shouldn't be pill testing because they shouldn't
be taking it in the first place, And like, I
totally get that, But then what I worry about is
that you will have you know, you will have people
still taking these things and they'll, you know, like they're
(05:51):
gonna they're going to wind up in a very dangerous
situation if they take something that isn't what they may
be intended to take absolutely.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
And look, the College isn't condoning substance use, but we
are saying this is a health issue, right, So if
people use substances, they use alcohol, they use all sorts
of things in all sorts of ways, and as gps
where they're to support people and to help them use
any substance if they're going to choose to use it
as safely as possible. So this is harm reduction and
(06:24):
it's one of a lot of things we can do.
Pill testing is one of those, but medically supervised use
ven use the looxone, which is actually the treatment if
someone else a nose spray or injection that is free
from the chemist without a script. That you know, we
should be widely supporting and letting everyone know they can
(06:45):
get hold of this, and that's another way to reduce
the potential harms of substances like this.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
And so is it something that people take if there
may be are overdosed, or if they've or if they've
had an issue or what's the what's what a nose
spry one?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Yeah, So the lock soon or we sometimes called it
take home the lock zone, has been around for a
long time. It's becoming increasingly available in Australia, so certainly
in the Northern Territory and some of your you know,
the primary outlets that you guys have up there say
on their website that you can get it over the counter.
(07:23):
It's if someone stops breathing, or if they're breathing very
shallowly and they've taken a substance whether Look, we would
have said in the past, if they've taken an opioid,
then then we know that that's what's happening. They're potentially
having an overdose, so they're falling asleep on it and
they're not breathing properly. You can use this nose spray
(07:45):
very simply and it will reverse that drug in their system.
The complex with more complication I will put in there
is that with nightazines, we're finding that some people need
multiple doses. Yeah, because it's so strong. So if someone
has that fantastic everyone you know is everyone who knows
(08:08):
anyone in their life, even that uses substances. You can
go to a chemist, get in the locks home and
if you've got it there and if someone needs it,
call an ambulance as well. Please. Yeah, So make sure
that you get that ongoing help just in case it's
one of these very strong opioids.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Yeah, now, if you have just joined us, we are
indeed joined on the show by the Royal Australian College
of GPS Alcohol and Other Drugs spokesperson Doctor Marguerite Tracy.
Doctor Tracy tell us what else would the Royal Australian
College of GPS like to see when it comes to
keeping people safe from opioids or in the event you
(08:45):
know that they witness an overdose or you know, yeah,
when they're out maybe at these different events.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
I think you know, we will always want people to
look after each other. We we don't like people using
any substance by themselves. You know, it increases the dangers.
If you haven't got a friend with you to help
you out, that puts you at increased risk of danger.
We tell people to start low and go slow. So
(09:17):
if people are taking a new substance, to use a
very small amount of it to see what you know,
what they're taking. And if people are struggling with substance youth,
see your GP seek help. All of those I mentioned.
I think you guys have got primary outlets in the
(09:41):
Northern Territory and Darwin Palmerston Alla Springs as well, and
that would certainly be able to provide advice online advice.
But yep, you can see your GP and get referred.
And we're certainly advocating for really good funding of alcohol
and other drug services. I just heard when I was
sitting on the line there's millions headed towards that in
(10:03):
the Northern Territory and that's a really positive thing.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Yeah, look, I agree. What is your message this morning
for the Northern Territory government around this pill testing and
around you know, alcohol and other drugs.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Look, the College is really keen to support to support
having fixed tests but also festival drug testing, ensuring that
nolocton is widely available and lots of people know about it,
that there's safe places for people to use, and that
people are aware that they can get support from their GPS.
(10:39):
And we want to make sure that if they go
to their GPS and need help, that they've got really
well funded specialist alcohol and other drugs support services as well.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Well. Doctor Marguerite Tracy, I really appreciate your time this morning.
I think it's a really interesting discussion to have. And
as I said earlier, I know some people will be
all for these others will be concerned about it, but
I think it is a really important discussion to have.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Yeah. Look, I think just remember that it could be
your relative, your child, your friend, or your colleague colleague,
and this is a health issue. And you know, as
I said, we don't condone or support substances. We want
people who use it to use it safely and not
come to harm.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Yeah, I agree with you. Well, thank you so very
much for your time this morning. The Royal Australian College
of GPS, Alcohol and Other Drug spokesperson, Doctor Marguerite Tracy, thank.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
You, thank you, NYE.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Have a good day for you two.
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