NSW: Renewed warning over PMA following man's death

AAP General News (Australia)
08-15-2007
NSW: Renewed warning over PMA following man's death

SYDNEY, Aug 15 AAP - Authorities have issued a public warning over the illegal drug
para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA), or "Red Mitsubishi", following the death of a 20-year-old
NSW man.

The man died in Canberra last month and NSW police Detective Superintendent Greig Newbery
today said a toxicology screen had revealed the presence of the rare and potent illegal
drug.

PMA is also blamed for the death of 20-year-old Sydney woman Annabel Catt in February,
and it resulted in six deaths in South Australia in the five months to January 1996.

Supt Newbery today moved to head off another possible spate of deaths, and he also
warned that drug pushers sometimes passed off PMA as the more common MDMA (methylene-dioxymethamphetamine),
also known as ecstasy.

"PMA is a highly toxic, highly hallucinogenic amphetamine," Supt Newbery said today.

"Our message has never been more important. You risk your life and liberty when taking
illicit drugs.

"The contents, potency and effects of these drugs are an absolute unknown and you are
gambling with your life when taking them."

Supt Newbery said a "small number" of all illegal drugs seized by NSW police this year
had turned out to be PMA.

A handful of PMA overdoses, one near fatal, had occurred in Sydney in 2004 when the
tablets were red and stamped with the Mitsubishi logo, he said.

Supt Newbery said the latest fatal PMA tablet, which was taken in Canberra but was
thought to have been sourced in NSW, was different again.

"New information has been forwarded to the NSW Police Force indicating the tablet this
young man is alleged to have taken was yellow with a Euro currency symbol on it," he said.

"The NSW Police Force will continue to liaise with ACT Policing in relation to identifying
the possible source of the PMA."

Supt Newbury said PMA's alternative street names included red death, red killer, Dr
Death and death drug.

The drug can cause a range of serious adverse effects including hallucinations, pupil
dilation, increased blood and body temperature, increased pulse, laboured breathing, nausea
and vomiting.

Supt Newbery said it could also lead to convulsions, coma and death.

AAP dr/hn/goc/mn

KEYWORD: PMA

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