Alex Ross-King’s family calls for urgent action against drug deaths

The family of the latest music event drug death victim has called for urgent action to stop the crisis that is killing revellers, declaring there is no safe level of drug consumption.

• Alex was not a drug taker, says friend
• Death dance festivals face being shut down

The family of the latest music event drug death victim has called for urgent action to stop the crisis that is killing revellers — declaring there is no safe level of drug consumption.

As the coroner announced an inquest into the suspected drug deaths of five young people since September, Alexandra King-Ross’ family said they wanted to meet with the Premier about the issue after their “beautiful girl” was lost at the weekend.

The Central Coast teenager died after it is believed she took at least two MDMA capsules or pills before entering the FOMO festival in Parramatta on Saturday.

19-year-old Alex Ross-King. Picture: Supplied

RELATED NEWS

Dead Defqon fan’s mum pleads for time to mourn

Overdose blood tests used to trace drug lords

Demand soars for DIY drug testing kits

“We encourage government to courageously take all the active measures possible to reduce the risk,” her family said in a statement last night.

“Pill testing is only one measure. There is no safe level of drug consumption but, it is an opportunity for intervention. We will in due course request an audience with Premier Berejiklian to confer and exchange views.”

Meanwhile, the father of Joseph Pham, is pinning his hopes the coronial inquest will ban the rave parties.

The 23-year-old collapsed and died at Penrith’s Defqon. 1 event on September 15.

23-year-old Joseph Pham died at the Defqon. 1 event last year. Picture: Facebook

The family of Alex Ross-King said there is no safe level of drug consumption. Picture: Supplied

Cong Pham said he hoped for an end to dance parties where he believes peer pressure to take drugs was high.

“Crowd control doesn’t work, pill testing doesn’t work — none of these measures tackle the root of the problem,” he said. “I don’t want to read about another death at a festival in a newspaper, the only way to prevent deaths at festivals is to ban the hard-core dance ones.

“Country music and pop music ones are fine but the peer pressure to take drugs at dance festivals is too much.

“The noise and type of music means young people feel they need to take drugs to enjoy it.”

Police and forensic pathologists are now working with the coroner to establish the exact cause of deaths of Diana Ngu­yen, Pham, Callum Brosnan, Joshua Tam and Ross-King.

The inquests, which will be heard together, are also expected to examine harm minimisation strategies including controversial pill testing, and organisers of the music festivals could be called to give evidence.

Five young people who have lost their lives at festivals.

Besides the deaths, dozens of revellers collapsed and needed medical treatment and hundreds more were arrested for drug offences.

Families of the five young people who died are still waiting for the ­results of the autopsies which can take several months to finalise.

The unusual move in announcing the ­inquest so quickly has echoes of the public health warning issued in 2016 by then state coroner Michael Barnes about a deadly batch of pink-coloured heroin tainted with fentanyl. It was prompted by the overdose deaths of 13 drug users.