Extreme heat would have contributed to the death of a teenager after she swallowed illicit drugs out of panic at seeing police sniffer dogs at Perth's Big Day Out festival, police say.
Gemma Thoms, 17, was with friends when she saw the sniffer dogs shortly before she entered the popular music event at the Claremont Showgrounds on Sunday.
The sight of the dogs caused her to panic, her friends allegedly told police, leading her to swallow an unknown quantity of a drug they believe was ecstasy.
But police on Monday said the girl was dropped off at the showgrounds, which meant she would not have been subject to sniffer dog and police searches carried out at the Showgrounds train station.
"There were a whole pile of people. She entered the venue. It was all too much for her. About an hour later she just collapsed," a police spokeswoman told AAP on Tuesday.
She added that the extreme heat would have contributed to Ms Thoms collapsing.
"If you don't get enough fluids into you, your body just shuts down."
Ms Thoms was given first aid before being taken to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, where she died.
Friends of the Perth teenager have posted online tributes to her on Facebook.
"RIP our beautiful Geri, your adventurous streak was what made you, but it got the better of you," friend Bree Fazioli wrote.
"Beautiful little gemmie RIP, i will miss you forever," a post from Fiona McLuckie read.
An autopsy has yet to be conducted to confirm the exact cause of Ms Thoms' death.
NSW Greens MP Sylvia Hale said she had been warning governments for years that a tragedy like Ms Thoms' death might occur if sniffer dogs continued to be used at festivals.
She pointed to a 2006 NSW Ombudsman report that concluded the dogs were ineffective.
"That report concluded that not only were they ineffective, but they are likely to result in harm when young people panic and swallow drugs and this appears to have happened in Western Australia," she told AAP.
Big Day Out concerts were not venues "where you catch the Mr Bigs of drug dealing", Ms Hale said.
"Predominantly you get people carrying small quantities for personal use," she said.
"It's always young people being targeted. You think cocaine is just confined to young people? I don't think so."
ninemsn 11:17 3 Feb 2009
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