By NATALIE GALLENTI
NEW Ambulance Victoria statistics have revealed paramedics attended more than 159 alcohol-related emergencies in the City of Melton across 12 months.
Last week, Ambulance Victoria and the Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre released their annual report into drug and alcohol call-outs across 2011/12.
The data showed there were 38 more call-outs to alcohol-related incidents within the municipality.
Benzodiazepine (BZD) related attendances were the second highest with 83. BZD is a psychoactive drug used to treat panic attacks, insomnia and anxiety, among other medical disorders.
Paramedics were called out to 16 heroin overdose incidents while there were 26 heroin-related attendances.
There were also 36 attendances for antidepressant drugs, 25 for antipsychotic drug usage and 23 for cannabis.
The statistics revealed neighbouring municipality Brimbank had more than 355 heroin-related attendances and was ranked the fourth-highest municipality in Victoria for heroin call-outs, behind Yarra, Melbourne and Maribyrnong.
Out of the 670 drug attendances in Brimbank during 2011/12, heroin accounted for more than 50 per cent.
Ambulance crews were called to more than 275 alcohol-related emergencies in Brimbank during the same timeframe.
The report also showed a substantial increase in crystal methamphetamine-related ambulance attendances in metropolitan Melbourne. There were 592 crystal methamphetamine (ice) call-outs in Melbourne during 2011/12, compared to 282 in 2010/11, a 109.9 per cent increase.
The most recent figures continue a worrying trend for ice call-outs, with only 136 cases recorded in 2009/10.
Ambulance Victoria paramedic and regional manager for Metro West Simon Thomson said people could act irrationally and dangerously when they were on alcohol, particularly on the weekends, and it could be challenging, and in some cases, dangerous for paramedics.
“Paramedics aren’t out to spoil the party for anyone, but we need people to understand the effects of alcohol and drugs can be considerable,” Mr Thomson said.
“The effect of taking drugs and alcohol together is that they can affect your conscious state, people can become unconscious and not be able to breathe properly. Essentially drugs and alcohol combined is a dangerous mix and it can kill you.”
