Attorney General Launches Tool to Combat Dangerous Club Drugs

Attorney General Launches Tool to Combat Dangerous Club Drugs


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News Specialist Jed Boal reporting The attorney general today unveiled a new defense against the escalating assault from so-called club drugs on Utah teens.

He believes mass education and training among law enforcement can slow the spread of the dangerous drugs.

The use of club drugs here in the valley and nationwide continues to rise. Police busts haul in more ecstasy and GHB than ever before. But Attorney General Mark Shurtleff believes this CD can be a powerful weapon.

Nicole Hansen thought the club drug scene was cool and harmless.

"When I got to the hospital, I flat-lined twice. It was literally like a scene out of ER," Hansen says.

But at a party a few years ago, she drank a half-bottle of GHB, vomited and passed out. Her friends left her in the bathroom.

"After a few hours someone came to check on me and I wasn't even breathing. It was at that point the owner of the house made the decision to take me to the hospital," Hansen says.

Nicole says her so-called friends dumped her there without leaving her name. Her parents got the call from the hospital the next day. They found her listed as Jane Doe; her body jammed with tubes that had saved her life.

"I was so stunned at what had happened to her and what she had been through. She'd always been a great kid with normal everyday problems," says Nicole's mother, Barbara Hansen.

Club drugs have become an everyday problem. This new CD tells parents and law enforcement what they need to know about ecstasy, GHB and other popular drugs.

"We are trying to nip this in the bud. We are trying to educate our kids and parents about the dangers," Shurtleff says.

While meth and alcohol abuse remain the top drug problems in the state, club drugs are gaining.

Nicole Hansen -- a former Miss Teen Utah -- says too many teens and young adults still think it's harmless fun.

"Initially when I heard of ecstasy, I had no idea, and I looked into it. But there was no information that it was harmful," Hansen says.

Now that information is just a mouse click away. Follow the link above for more information or to check out video clips from the CD online. It's called, "Club Drugs: Nothing to Rave About."

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