Perth drugs incident is a warning to all

It is troubling that four young people in Perth should require hopsital treatment following the apparent use of illegal pills in Perth. A rogue batch of an ecstasy-type substance is being blamed for the horrific incident, which left the worstaffected of the youngsters stricken on a patch of waste ground in the city.

Although his friends were released after treatment, it is unclear what the short and longer-term effects will be on one school pupil’s life.

The simple fact is that there is no way to know what is in an illicit product or the effect it will have from person to person – every time an illegal drug is ingested, those involved are taking their own lives in their hands.

Dealers who peddle such deadly wares do not care about the eventual harm it could cause.

They are interested only in making as much money as possible from gullible users and staying one step ahead of the over-stretched authorities.

It has become a cliche but parents and carers must also play their part in educating their charges on the dangers of drugs – despite horrific incidents such as this one, the message is not getting through to enough people.

We can only hope the youngster in Perth makes a full recovery and learns from his mistakes.

His case should also act as a warning to anyone else considering dabbling in such substances.