Anna Wood (schoolgirl) - Aftermath

Aftermath

The death of Anna Wood nevertheless raised awareness about ecstasy use in the general community, which until that time had been less well known in Australia. Her death was seen as unusual because in 1995 the number of people who had died from ecstasy use was very low. The raised awareness of ecstasy use led to the Australian state governments instituting new laws in the running of dance venues. In NSW, the Code of Practice for Dance Parties was passed in 1997, which made the provision of chill rooms and free water compulsory for clubs to obtain their licence. This was seen as an acknowledgement of the reality of ecstasy use in the dance scene and the need for pragmatic legislation by governments to prevent further deaths. The coroner's report into Wood's death had also recommended public advice on ecstasy use and water intake to avoid further water intoxication fatalities.

The notoriety of Wood's death sees it continue to surface in the public more than ten years since it took place. It was referred to during the 2007 NSW state election, for instance, when NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam used it and some other youth deaths to claim the state government was not doing enough to prevent further tragedies.