Latest news with #PaulaHudson
Scoop
a day ago
- Scoop
Mānawatia A Matariki — Happy Māori New Year
As Te Kāhui o Matariki, the Matariki star cluster, signals the arrival of the Māori New Year, local tangata whenua and community groups share opportunities for us to celebrate and come together. Matariki is a time to reflect, celebrate our history and look to the future. To celebrate the magic of Matariki across this year, the Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund (TWBCEF) is supporting four events across the rohe. The events welcome all age groups and aim to build understanding of te ao Māori (Māori world view), mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and te reo Māori (the Māori language). In Welcome Bay, the Te Ara a Matariki Light Trail is a magical and inclusive experience for all ages and abilities. Held over two nights, the trail is a gentle walk winding through the māra kai, food forest, and native bush areas. Night one sees whānau with disabilities and sensory needs catered to with reduced lighting and fewer people, creating a calm and accessible space for all. Te Kete Matariki Te Puke is an annual Māori lead community event held at Jellicoe Park, Te Puke, jam-packed full of culture, entertainment, kai, fun and education. Held on Friday 20 June, the celebration draws its name on the story of the local ancestor Whakaotirangi who had the role of securing the kumara plants brought from Hawaiki to Aotearoa in a kete on the Te Arawa waka. Commemorating Matariki within the Merivale community, a series of events will be held with the focus on two main aspects of celebration – Matariki, the mother star, representing reflection and remembrance, and Põhutukawa representing those who have passed on. Matariki ki Katikati sees three key events for the local community. On Thursday, a lunch at Te Rereatukahia Marae sees mana whenua hosting special guests from Katikatis local history. The 'Viewing of the Stars' held on the eve of Matariki at Katikati College includes a night market and an opportunity for the entire family to share kai and culture. On Matariki Friday the Dawn Service at Park Road Reserve being a true highlight. The Reserve is a place of significance and a perfect setting overlooking the inner harbour, with spectacular views of Matakana Island, Bowentown Heads and the Matariki cluster which appears brilliantly above the horizon. The Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund is supporting these four events with a combined total of $47,000 ensuring accessibility to events across the rohe. The fund is a partnership between local funders Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, TECT, Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council with the core purpose of supporting community-led events and those that encourage participation for free or at low-cost. TECT's Community Impact Manager, Paula Hudson, says the fund enables events where our communities can honour Matariki through traditional ceremonies, performances, and storytelling. 'It's great to see the community have opportunities to learn about Matariki, and the concepts of the Māori New Year. Supporting experiences that enable connection and reflection at this significant time of the Māori calendar helps create a stronger and more cohesive community.' These are just a few of the Matariki events occurring across the region over the next couple of weeks. Visit the Matariki Te Tauranga o ngā Waka website for more information
Perth Now
10-05-2025
- Health
- Perth Now
Warning over dangerous ingredient found in fake painkillers
Fake pain relief medication is the latest type drug found to contain a dangerous synthetic opioid in Australia. It was detected in counterfeit pharamceutical drugs that 'were almost identical in appearance to oxycodone pills,' the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said. Oxycodone pills are only legally available with a prescription from a medical professional — a popular brand of he highly-additictive severe pain medication is Endone. But counterfit versions of the drug, seized by police in April 2024 and February 2025, were recently found to contain nitazenes. 'Nitazenes are an illicit and dangerous synthetic opioid which can cause serious and unpredictable health effects,' the AFP said. An overdose on nitazenes can look like a loss of consciousness, shallow or stopped breathing, bluish-purple skin, and slow or erratic pulse. The AFP have warned the public not to take counterfit medications, after multiple drug seizures have been found to contain synthetic opioids called nitazenes. Credit: AFP Nitazenes are considered 10 times more potent than fentanyl, and can be found in the form of powder, tablets, nasal sprays, and vape liquids. Eight imports have been intercepted at Australian borders during the 15 months leading to March 2025 — Canada, the UK, and Hong Kong are among the countries the drugs were sent from, with most sent through international mail. Nitazenes have also been detected in counterfeit pain relief medication discovered in NSW, QLD, VIC and the ACT in recent months. But AFP said it does not have any reason to believe that nitazenes are being manafactured in Australia. AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Paula Hudson said the number of seizures of counterfit medication containing nitazenes has called for a fresh warning. 'There is no safe dosage when it comes to nitazene,' she said. 'We cannot understate the dangers which surround any use of this illicit and highly potent drug. 'If you choose to take it, you are gambling with your life.' She warned that those who take the drug are not the only ones at risk of its dangerous side effects. Synthetic opioids are so potent that frontline workers, such as nurses, doctors, and law enforcement officers, can be exposed to their dangerous health impacts when treating people who consume them, Hudson said. 'Those who consume counterfeit pharmaceuticals have no idea what they are putting in their body and the potential health impacts they could face,' she said. Hudson warned people to only consume pharmaceuticals which have been prescribed and dispensed by registered health practitioners and pharmacists.
7NEWS
09-05-2025
- Health
- 7NEWS
Warning over dangerous synthetic opioid found in fake imported pharmaceutical drugs in Australia
Fake pain relief medication is the latest type drug found to contain a dangerous synthetic opioid in Australia. It was detected in counterfeit pharamceutical drugs that 'were almost identical in appearance to oxycodone pills,' the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said. Oxycodone pills are only legally available with a prescription from a medical professional — a popular brand of he highly-additictive severe pain medication is Endone. But counterfit versions of the drug, seized by police in April 2024 and February 2025, were recently found to contain nitazenes. 'Nitazenes are an illicit and dangerous synthetic opioid which can cause serious and unpredictable health effects,' the AFP said. An overdose on nitazenes can look like a loss of consciousness, shallow or stopped breathing, bluish-purple skin, and slow or erratic pulse. Nitazenes are considered 10 times more potent than fentanyl, and can be found in the form of powder, tablets, nasal sprays, and vape liquids. Eight imports have been intercepted at Australian borders during the 15 months leading to March 2025 — Canada, the UK, and Hong Kong are among the countries the drugs were sent from, with most sent through international mail. Nitazenes have also been detected in counterfeit pain relief medication discovered in NSW, QLD, VIC and the ACT in recent months. But AFP said it does not have any reason to believe that nitazenes are being manafactured in Australia. 'We cannot understate the dangers' AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Paula Hudson said the number of seizures of counterfit medication containing nitazenes has called for a fresh warning. 'There is no safe dosage when it comes to nitazene,' she said. 'We cannot understate the dangers which surround any use of this illicit and highly potent drug. 'If you choose to take it, you are gambling with your life.' She warned that those who take the drug are not the only ones at risk of its dangerous side effects. Synthetic opioids are so potent that frontline workers, such as nurses, doctors, and law enforcement officers, can be exposed to their dangerous health impacts when treating people who consume them, Hudson said. 'Those who consume counterfeit pharmaceuticals have no idea what they are putting in their body and the potential health impacts they could face,' she said. Hudson warned people to only consume pharmaceuticals which have been prescribed and dispensed by registered health practitioners and pharmacists.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Authorities issue urgent warning as super-strength American 'zombie drug' hits Australian shores
Australians who are taking nitazenes, a lethal opioid hundreds of times more potent than heroin, have been warned they are gambling with their lives. Nitazenes are a group of synthetic opioids, similar to fentanyl, that are made up of several different types of drugs including protonitazene and metonitazene. The drug is usually laced in other substances including MDMA, ketamine, cocaine and methamphetamine, leaving those who consume it unaware they're at risk. Users can remain mobile but in a warped mental state, giving the so-called 'zombielands' their name. The drug has ravaged the US and Australian Border Force detected 64 imports of nitazenes between January 2023 and September 2024. It's believed most of the drugs were brought into the country through international mail from countries including Canada, the UK and Hong Kong. 'If you choose to take it, you are gambling with your life,' Australian Federal Police's (AFP) acting assistant commissioner Paula Hudson told on Tuesday. 'Those who consume counterfeit pharmaceuticals have no idea what they are putting in their body and the potential health impacts they could face.' The opioids are thought to be so potent that authorities are concerned for frontline workers, such as nurses, doctors, and law enforcement officers. Acting assistant commissioner Hudson said those workers could be exposed to dangerous health impacts while handling substances or treating people who consume them. Variants of the opioid have been traced across the country over the past year, including in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT. Victoria's Health Department warned on Saturday about variant 'metonitazene' which two Melbournians had been exposed to when using a powder sold as ketamine. An international study led by researchers from the University of Queensland revealed in March two highly potent nitazene variants were found in Australian wastewater. 'The levels we found in Australia were significantly higher than those in the United States which is quite concerning,' Dr Richard Bade from the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences said. He said the Australian results did not correlate with any other data sources which could meant the detected drugs were a result direct disposal, not consumption. 'We are leaning more towards direct disposal, but it still meant nitazenes were in Australia,' he said. AFP has warned that nitazenes have been sold in a variety of forms, including powders, tablets, nasal sprays, and vape liquids. They can also be marketed and sold as non-opioid substances like cocaine, MDMA, GHB, and counterfeit pharmaceuticals. If someone shows signs of an opioid overdose, they are advised to call Triple Zero and start CPR immediately. The medication naloxone is available from registered pharmacies which can reverse an opioid overdose.
News.com.au
06-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
US zombie drug creeping into Australia, AFP warns
Super-strength opioids that have turned major US cities into zombie zones are creeping into the country through fake medicines posted in the mail. The Australian Federal Police have issued an urgent warning after a series of nitazene detections in counterfeit pharmaceuticals that appear almost identical to oxycodone pills - pain relief medication available via prescription. The batches have been detected in recent months in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. The deadly nitazenes are also being distributed as powders, nasal sprays and vape liquids. Since January 2024 Australian Border Force officers have stopped eight Nitazene imports at Australian borders, most smuggled through international mail from countries including Canada, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. There is no evidence to indicate nitazenes are being manufactured in Australia. Health authorities and police warn nitazines have serious and unpredictable health effects, including users losing consciousness, experiencing slow or erratic pulse rate, stopping breathing, and having their skin turn bluish-purple. AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Paula Hudson told there was no safe dosage when it came to nitazenes, and warned people should only consume pharmaceuticals prescribed and dispensed by registered health practitioners and pharmacists. 'We cannot understate the dangers which surround any use of this illicit and highly potent drug. If you choose to take it, you are gambling with your life,' Assistant Commissioner Hudson said. 'Those who consume counterfeit pharmaceuticals have no idea what they are putting in their body and the potential health impacts they could face. 'Synthetic opioids are considered so potent there are also concerns for the safety and welfare of frontline workers, such as nurses, doctors, and law enforcement officers, who could be exposed to the dangerous health impacts when handling these substances or treating people who consume them.' NSW Ambulance Senior Paramedic Specialist Associate Director Paramedicine and Clinical Practice Marty Nichols said nitazenes are appearing more often than ever before, in illicit drugs like ketamine, cocaine and heroin but also in heavy pain medicines. Patients who overdose can present similar to people who have overdosed on heroin, this presentation can include losing consciousness and breathing slowing or ceasing. A reversal agent is available that will counter act synthetic opioids such as nitazene (naloxone). This medication can be obtained and carried by individuals, as well as by health care practitioners such as paramedics. These reversal agents are often effective however if patients have taken unknown substances, the reversal may only have partial effectiveness. Because nitazenes are found in other substances, once the synthetic opioids are reversed the other drugs present in their system may have a greater effect. This can result in paramedics being exposed to aggressive behaviour. NSW Health encourages people to consider how they can reduce their exposure to harm. 'People should think twice about taking any substance where they are not sure what is contained in it. With medication that is not obtained from a pharmacy or health care practitioner, it is near impossible to know what is present,' Mr Nichols said. The AFP is so concerned about the rise in nitazenes it has issued a warning to criminal syndicates seeking to profit from the illegal and highly dangerous drug. 'The AFP is committed to protecting the community and will identify and prosecute you to the full extent of the law,' Assistant Commissioner Hudson said. 'The AFP will continue to work alongside our partners at the ABF, as well as our international law enforcement partners, to combat nitazenes in Australia.'
