Pubdate: Wed, 06 Aug 2003
Source: Dominion Post, The (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2003 The Dominion Post
Contact:  http://www.dompost.co.nz
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2550

CORONER CONDEMNS FATAL FANTASY DRUG

An overdose victim was found to have lethal levels of the party drug 
Fantasy in his blood and urine, Wellington coroner Garry Evans has heard.

The death of Grant Ferretti, 35, ACC beneficiary, last year was one of the 
first fatal Fantasy overdoses in the Wellington region.

Mr Evans said at the conclusion of an inquest yesterday that he would 
deliver a written decision on the case but told Mr Ferretti's parents that 
his provisional finding would be one of respiratory arrest due to overdose.

Young people were seduced into experimenting with this most baleful drug, 
Mr Evans said. "The community is faced with a toxin infecting our young 
people." Fantasy -- also known as ghb for its chemical name 
gammahydroxybutyrate -- was found in autopsy samples from Mr Ferretti after 
he died in Hutt Hospital on November 12. Also found were traces of Ecstasy 
and cocaine which were likely to have been taken in the two days before his 
death.

Police had received information that Mr Ferretti may have taken up to 30 
millilitres of the drug which is usually taken in a drink to disguise its 
bitter taste. His girlfriend Rachael Beeby had also admitted taking the 
drug that night. Others at the party at Ferretti's house in Naenae had 
watched him but did not call an ambulance for fear of ramifications.

Fantasy produces a euphoria similar to alcohol but its side effects include 
severe respiratory depression, coma and death.

Constable Tamara van Hengel said Fantasy took 10 to 20 minutes to kick in, 
leading an inexperienced user to be tempted into using more.

Mr Ferretti had been at home with several friends on November 10 last year. 
A woman in the house got up about 5am the next day and passed Mr Ferretti 
on a bed. He was blue and not breathing.

Despite ambulance attempts to bring him round, Mr Ferretti never recovered 
respiratory function. He was taken to hospital where he was put on life 
support. It was turned off on November 12 and his heart and kidneys used in 
transplants.

Some of the people at Mr Ferretti's home that night said he had previously 
supplied them with drugs, including Rinse, a form of Fantasy.

A police search of Mr Ferretti's home found a bottle with traces of ghb, 
2040 cannabis seeds, the remains of a hydroponic cannabis growing lab, 
anabolic steroids and more ghb in liquid form. He had also been known to 
use cannabis and amphetamines.

Detective Sergeant Glen Turner from Lower Hutt said it was apparent Mr 
Ferretti was a drug user and probably selling cannabis as well as supplying 
others on a social level.

He said there was no indication that anyone had administered Fantasy to Mr 
Ferretti.
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