THE SIDEFFECT STORY

Sideffect is a not for profit organisation born from the tragic loss of 16-year-old Preston Bridge in 2013 when he jumped from a balcony after taking a synthetic drug known as 25iNBOME at his school ball.

The organisation was founded by Preston’s father Rodney Bridge, along with former Eagles champion Chris Waterman and corporate businessman David Hobbs, with the aim to educate young people about the dangers of synthetic drug use. “Sideffect is the legacy of my son who lost his life at the age of 16 by making one uninformed decision,” Mr Bridge said. “Let’s stop our kids from playing Russian roulette and arm them with knowledge.”

In 2015, Mr Bridge infiltrated Chinese drug gangs exporting to Australia and saw firsthand the deadly ingredients used in the production of synthetic substances. The dangerous stunt proved that large quantities of synthetic drugs could easily be smuggled into the country undetected by sniffer dogs. Sideffect believes education is key to putting a stop to Australia’s synthetic drug problem, and is now ready to fill that void.