People taken to hospital after allegedly overdosing on GHB in Melbourne’s CBD
LATEST: A TEENAGER was among six people were rushed to hospital after allegedly overdosing on the party drug GHB in Melbourne’s CBD early this morning.
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SIX people have been rushed to hospital after allegedly overdosing on the party drug GHB at two Melbourne CBD nightclubs early this morning.
Police and paramedics were called to popular King St nightclub Inflation just before 3am after suspected overdoses.
Emergency services were also called to another club in Little Bourke St early this morning.
Four club goers were taken to The Royal Melbourne Hospital, while another two were taken to St Vincent’s Hospital.
Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said the overdoses occurred between 1.30am and 7.30am.
Among those taken to hospital were four men and two women, including a man aged in his 20s and a teenage male.
It is believed a female affected by the drug on King St hallucinated and attempted to bite a paramedic.
Victoria Police spokeswoman Natalie Savino said an investigation is ongoing.
“Police responded to reports that a number of people were drug affected and required medical attention at a King Street nightclub just before 3am this morning,” she said.
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Acting Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent confirmed a 22-year-old Hawthorn man was arrested on King Street just after 3.30am and will be charged on summons with drug related offences.
Police will allege the man was a supplier of drugs, including GHB, but do not believe the man’s arrest is linked to patrons requiring medical attention.
Mr Nugent said investigators were attempting to trace the supply chain of the drugs.
“Victoria Police has a primary role in reducing the supply of drugs and targeting the drug traffickers,” he said.
“It’s all about profit. That’s all they care about. They don’t care about an individual’s health and safety they just want to make money by selling drugs.”
It is understood detectives are already aware of who may have supplied the synthetic drugs.
“We’re looking at a whole range of different people and different locations” Mr Nugent said.
Owners of Inflation told the Herald Sun that staff sent police an email earlier this year detailing concern with a spike in GHB related incidents.
Police did not take action despite their warning, the owners said.
Inflation nightclub manager Jodie Szoeke said the club has a zero tolerance towards drugs.
“We use a number of methods to help protect our patrons. We have ID scanners that are linked to a national database and we conduct thorough bag and person searches as well as regularly talking with police about any spikes in activity” she said.
“Anybody caught with drugs or who is found to have overdosed automatically receives a lifetime ban from the premises”.
Mr Nugent confirmed police were aware of messages from nightclub staff but said the incidents occurred outside the venues.
“Some venues have (spoken of GHB problems), that’s right,” he said.
“My understanding from the overdoses last night is that the response was outside the venue.”
Ambulance Victoria spokesman Mick Stephenson said it would not be unusual to see 150 people require medical treatment due to drug or alcohol abuse on any given Saturday night.