Student dies after taking Fantasy

By STAFF REPORTERS

A student has died and his girlfriend almost stopped breathing after taking the illegal party drug Fantasy in what is thought to be the first fatal case involving the drug in New Zealand or Australia.

Shawn Jacob Brenner, 22, fell into a coma on Friday night and was declared brain-dead in Auckland Hospital at 3.30 pm on Saturday.

Mr Brenner, a University of Auckland engineering student, is the son of Auckland gynaecologist Dr Bernie Brenner. He became ill in a house in Richmond Rd, Ponsonby.

Police are investigating his death, which comes after years of concern by the medical profession and police over the use of Fantasy - also known as gamma-hydroxy-butyrate (GHB), GBH (grievous bodily harm) and Liquid Green.

The drug is sold in capsules, powder or liquid form for about $35 a dose. It induces euphoria and achieved notoriety in 1993 when it was identified as a drug which contributed to the death of Hollywood actor River Phoenix.

On Friday night, paramedics called to the house were told Mr Brenner had taken the drug. St John Ambulance duty watch manager Steve Walker told the Herald that Mr Brenner's heart had stopped, and that about 30 minutes had elapsed between the call for help and officers restarting his heart.

Four or five other young adults were in the house.

Mr Walker said that part-way through working on Mr Brenner, paramedics were alerted to a woman in bed who also needed attention.

"She was very seriously ill ... unconscious and virtually non-breathing."

Auckland Hospital intensive care specialist Dr Tony Smith said Mr Brenner was suffering from drug poisoning when admitted.

He said the woman, who was Mr Brenner's girlfriend, spent six hours on a ventilator before waking up.

The unnamed woman, in her 20s, told Dr Smith that they had taken Fantasy. "She is devastated ... she could hardly speak."

Mr Brenner's brain had been badly damaged from lack of oxygen.

Dr Smith said Fantasy was "right at the top" of life-threatening illegal drugs in relation to admissions at Auckland Hospital.

He was angry at "rumours" spread by "drug educators" that Fantasy could be taken safely when clearly it could not unless a trained resuscitator was nearby.

People taking the drug were playing Russian roulette. "They need to know they are rolling the dice ... You can never take it safely."

Dr Smith said Fantasy users would have no idea how concentrated the drug was in liquid form.

A spokeswoman for the Brenners said the family were devastated and trying to make sense of Shawn's death. The family fully supported Dr Smith's views on party drugs.

In January, police and health professionals warned that the drug One4B, a version of Fantasy, might be lethal. The Health Ministry suspended One4B from sale after four users were taken to hospital.

Police said they would wait for the results of tests before commenting on what Mr Brenner had taken. The Government outlawed recreational use and supply of Fantasy in January last year.

Fantasy facts

Chemical name: sodium oxybate or gamma-hyrdoxybutyrate

Street names: Fantasy, GBH, liquid ecstasy or liquid green

Effects: A depressant drug, it slows the central nervous system, gives feelings of euphoria, drowsiness, increased confidence and dizziness.

Risks: In high doses, Fantasy has been reported to cause hallucinations, agitation, confusion, seizures, muscle stiffening and respiratory collapse.

Who uses it? People in the dance club scene for its euphoric and sedative effects and bodybuilders because it promotes what is known as "slow wave sleep" during which a growth hormone is secreted.

How much does it cost? A single dose sells for around $35.