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Influx of deadly synthetic drugs sets off alarm bells

Influx of deadly synthetic drugs sets off alarm bells Rory Callinan, Investigative journalist, The Age Academics and law enforcement officers have expressed growing alarm about the tide of synthetic drugs that have claimed five lives, including three students, in 14 months. Amid a proliferation of drugs designed by sophisticated overseas laboratories to mimic LSD, cannabis and methamphetamines, one academic forecasts worse is to come. Law officials also point out the difficulties in outlawing the drugs when laboratories regularly change the chemical composition to avoid bans. The acting chief executive of the Australian Crime Commission, Paul Jevtovic, says: ''The reality is we can't keep up. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction has found that, since 2011, we are seeing a new drug in this category every week.'' Governments, including Victoria's, have been trying to outlaw the trade by banning any substa