Arrest comes days before festival

A MAN has been pinched with 210 ecstasy tablets, just days before Townsville’s biggest music festival.

The pills, worth up to $ 10,000 on the streets, were seized when the Hermit Park man was arrested on Thursday.

The bust comes as police and hospital staff warn festival goers of the dangers of drugs.

Townsville Hospital Emergency Department director Dr Luke Lawton said people were gambling with their lives by taking drugs.

“There is no way of telling what’s actually in the pill you are taking, ” Dr Lawton said.

“These aren’t pills that are made up in labs with quality control standards. They are cooked up in someone’s back- yard and often they’re filled out with all sorts of other drugs, and sometimes prescription drugs that can cause significant reactions as well.”

Dr Lawton said adverse reactions could include loss of consciousness, breathing difficulties, stiff muscles and seizures. “It’s an absolute unknown and it really is taking a gamble with potentially your life,” he said.

Dr Lawton said the hospital would put on extra resources in case of the worst.

“It’s an absolute recipe for disaster. You have people out in the heat all day, often not eating, blood sugar is low, often drinking alcohol and dehydrated which makes the effects worse. So it really is the perfect storm,” he said.

“Last year we had 288 patients through the door and a huge number of those were related to Groovin The Moo and people doing silly stuff. I’d be happy if we saw no one this year. We have increased our staff, the hospital has a plan to make extra treatment space available if needed and to make sure the ED is ready to go.”

The police are also prepared for a busy weekend.

Senior Sergeant Jason Brosnan said: “We have in excess of 60 police officers attending the event in a variety roles to ensure a safe event.

“There will be a large visible police presence in the area getting into the event and around the event.’’

He said there would also be a plain- clothes contingent looking for people avoiding the police.

“Last year was abnormal and it is the first year we have really had any sort of issues with drug overdoses ... through the ED,” Sen- Sgt Brosnan said.

“This year, to combat that, we have a number of overt and covert policing strategies in place to target drug use and alcohol preloading.”