NZ Goverment bans Partypills

[Thirdedge]

Decision On Party Pills Should Be Easy
Wednesday, 13 December 2006, 10:45 am
Press Release: New Zealand First Party
13 December 2006

Decision On Party Pills Should Be Easy

It is to be hoped that common sense prevails with the Cabinet committee reviewing the future of party pills says New Zealand First’s health spokesperson Barbara Stewart.

“New Zealand First has always held the view that party pills are unsafe and their use should be banned.

“Emergency department doctors have reported patients with symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks, elevated heart rates, hallucinations, headaches and vomiting and even convulsions from pills which are presumed safe because they are readily available legally.

“There is also a risk to brain development to teenagers under 18 who are most likely to take more pills than recommended and mix them with alcohol.

“Teenagers in this country already have more than enough access to mood altering substances. They don’t need party pills as well – especially since no reputable research has been carried out into their safety and the long-term effects are unknown.

“Banning the sale of party pills is definitely the way to go," said Mrs Stewart.

[Thirdedge]

Anderton still considering experts' advice
Wednesday, 13 December 2006, 3:58 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Government
13 December 2006

Anderton still considering experts' advice on party pills

Jim Anderton, Associate Minister of Health, has received advice from the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs (EACD) and is still considering it, along with other relevant matters that he is bound to consider by statute.

Reports that the Minister would be putting a paper to Cabinet today on this issue are not correct. Mr Anderton is giving the matter serious consideration and will fully inform Cabinet in due course.

The Minister pointed out that there are legal requirements around his decision-making powers that need to be satisfied. "And it is important that I fully comply with those requirements."

"There are those calling for the immediate tightening of regulations or banning or both, based on nothing more than gut feeling, anecdotes and concern. This government has an 'evidence-based' policy. As soon as I became aware of party pills, I acted to establish legislation to regulate and restrict the use of these substances.

"Now that I have further expert advice on the basis of research into the effects of BZP, which I commissioned, I am giving it the serious consideration that it deserves. Having waited this long to get more evidence around BZP, I am not going to rush this process just because there are those who continually stand on the sidelines accusing me of inaction for their own narrow political interests," Mr Anderton said.

Backgrounder
The EACD is a statutory committee of experts, established under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, which is tasked with advising the Minister on drug classification matters under that Act. Under the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act 2005 the committee was given the function to carry out evaluations of substances to assess whether they should be restricted substances and if so, make recommendations to the Minster responsible for drug policy on the appropriate restrictions or requirements.

The Minister under both Acts is required to consider the advice of the EACD and to have regard to matters listed in the Acts such as prevalence, levels of consumption, risks to public health, international classification and other matters before making a recommendation to the Governor-General that an Order in Council is made to classify or reclassify or restrict a substance under these Acts.

Although the Order in Council process is a shorter legislative process it can still take time as it requires Health select committee scrutiny and an affirmative resolution from Parliament.

Further information on the Order in Council process can be found at www.ndp.govt.nz

[Thirdedge]

Ministers consider ban on BZP party pills
13 December 2006
By ANNA CHALMERS

Medical experts want tough restrictions or an outright ban on party pills, as the Government gets set to make a decision on their future.

Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton will take proposals to a Cabinet committee today after a report on the BZP-based pills last week by the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs.

It is understood the committee has seriously considered recommending banning party pills, which one in five New Zealanders have used, or placing tough restrictions on their use.

Emergency medicine specialist Paul Gee, who has been researching the effects of the pills, wants them banned, but admits some doctors think that could send them underground. "But all of us agree there needs to be more regulation."

Dr Gee said minimum regulations should include tighter age and access restrictions as well as dosage limits. "(They) shouldn't be at every garage and dairy, every shop every hundred metres."

Hospitals nationwide have reported an influx of young patients with ill-effects, including seizures, after taking the pills in the past year.

The pills contain benzylpiperazine (BZP), which mimics the drug ecstasy and can also leave users feeling agitated and dehydrated. The substance is banned in the United States.

The trade is worth an estimated $24 million a year.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/manawat...6a6407,00.html

[m_tristan17]

Originally Posted by thirdedge

The pills contain benzylpiperazine (BZP), which mimics the drug ecstasy and can also leave users feeling agitated and dehydrated. The substance is banned in the United States.

well, if the US has a ban in effect, the rest of the world will fall like dominos under the pressure the US Drug Enforcement Agency will impose. It's only a matter of time. I laugh when I see 3rd world nations with drug laws that mimic the US. My god, it would take the average person of a 3rd world nation 3 years to save enough money to buy a package of your favorite party pill. HA!

[Alfa]

3 World nation? Which 3rd world nation are you talking about?

[Bassic]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/manawat...6a6407,00.html

Ministers consider ban on BZP party pills

13 December 2006 By ANNA CHALMERS

Medical experts want tough restrictions or an outright ban on party pills, as the Government gets set to make a decision on their future.

Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton will take proposals to a Cabinet committee today after a report on the BZP-based pills last week by the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs.
It is understood the committee has seriously considered recommending banning party pills, which one in five New Zealanders have used, or placing tough restrictions on their use.
Emergency medicine specialist Paul Gee, who has been researching the effects of the pills, wants them banned, but admits some doctors think that could send them underground. "But all of us agree there needs to be more regulation."
Dr Gee said minimum regulations should include tighter age and access restrictions as well as dosage limits. "(They) shouldn't be at every garage and dairy, every shop every hundred metres."
Hospitals nationwide have reported an influx of young patients with ill-effects, including seizures, after taking the pills in the past year.
The pills contain benzylpiperazine (BZP), which mimics the drug ecstasy and can also leave users feeling agitated and dehydrated. The substance is banned in the United States.
The trade is worth an estimated $24 million a year.



Also http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00257.htm


Decision On Party Pills Should Be Easy

Wednesday, 13 December 2006, 10:45 am
Press Release: New Zealand First Party 13 December 2006Decision On Party Pills Should Be Easy
It is to be hoped that common sense prevails with the Cabinet committee reviewing the future of party pills says New Zealand First’s health spokesperson Barbara Stewart.
“New Zealand First has always held the view that party pills are unsafe and their use should be banned.
“Emergency department doctors have reported patients with symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks, elevated heart rates, hallucinations, headaches and vomiting and even convulsions from pills which are presumed safe because they are readily available legally.
“There is also a risk to brain development to teenagers under 18 who are most likely to take more pills than recommended and mix them with alcohol.
“Teenagers in this country already have more than enough access to mood altering substances. They don’t need party pills as well – especially since no reputable research has been carried out into their safety and the long-term effects are unknown.
“Banning the sale of party pills is definitely the way to go," said Mrs Stewart.

[Beeker]

Kiwi land is 1st world nation for those typing english.

is it bad when mexico has better education then some us states? can't be good.

[Thirdedge]

National and NZ First call for party pill ban
7:30AM Thursday December 14, 2006

Two political parties are putting pressure on the Government to ban party pills.

National and New Zealand First want Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton to made a decision, and say he has had long enough to consider the situation.

Mr Anderton, who is in charge of the Government's drugs policy, said yesterday he needed more time to study expert advice before taking any steps to ban party pills.

The question is whether pills containing benzylpiperazine (BZP) should be banned.

At present they can be legally purchased by people over 18, but critics say pill doses are often far higher than recommended and lead to serious harm.

National's associate health spokeswoman, Jacqui Dean, said Mr Anderton was dragging his heels.

"The minister has already received expert information on the issue yet he refuses to act," she said.

"With the party season approaching, Mr Anderton's inaction can only mean trouble."

NZ First's health spokeswoman Barbara Stewart said her party had always believed the pills were dangerous and should be banned.

"Teenagers in this country already have more than enough access to mood altering substances," she said.

"They don't need party pills as well -- especially since no reputable research has been carried out into their safety and the long-term effects are unknown."

Ms Stewart said emergency department doctors had reported patients with symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks, elevated heart rates, hallucinations, headaches, vomiting and even convulsions from pills which were presumed safe because they were legally available.

Earlier this year a Ministry of Health survey found one in five New Zealanders had tried party pills.

At the time, emergency medicine specialist Paul Gee told NZPA there was "more than enough" evidence that a ban was needed.

Dr Gee said some people using the pills suffered serious problems including life-threatening seizures and even psychiatric illnesses.
Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/s...ectID=10415326

[Thirdedge]

Wednesday, 20 December 2006

The Government is taking the first steps toward outlawing party pills.

The Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs (EACD) has recommended the Government make benzylpiperazine (BZP), phenylpiperazines and related piperazines, common ingredients in 'party pills', illegal because of the risk of harm.

Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton released the recommendation at a press conference in Christchurch today.

He said consideration of the committee's advice was the first step in the process required of him in terms of his statutory decision-making power. However, because party pills were commonly used, it was is important the advice was available to the public so that everyone was aware of the dangers, he said.

Anderton said there are now several of studies and reports from health researchers in New Zealand which outline the real and potential harm caused by 'party pills' containing BZP.

''While there have been no recorded deaths attributed solely to the use of BZP, we know that severe adverse effects from the use of 'party pills' occur unpredictably. The expert committee was concerned that the seizures which have been recorded have the potential to kill. Everyone should know that.''

Anderton said there were a number of legal steps he must take before he could make a final decision on whether to recommend that BZP was banned. Including seeking further information and advice, consulting fully with other Government agencies, and seeking the views of the wider community as well as those manufacturing and selling products containing BZP.

''My aim is to have the consultation process completed by March 2007 but until then it is important that the public has good information upon which to base any decision to purchase BZP-based 'party pills','' he said.

In New Zealand, BZP is currently able to be sold to individuals over the age of 18. The recommendation from the EACD is that BZP should be given a similar classification to that of cannabis, making it illegal to sell, buy or possess the drug.

Matt Bowden, chairman of the Social Tonics Association of New Zealand (STANZ), said that any move to ban party pills would simply lead to tens of thousands of New Zealanders instead taking dangerous illegal drugs.

''The report (by the EACD) misses the point. Party pills in New Zealand are achieving their purpose in providing safer, legal alternatives to illegal drugs,'' he said.

''While the EACD report has focused on potential risks, nobody is doing the analysis to show the benefits of having safer, regulated alternatives on the market''

Bowden said around 10 million party pills have been sold in New Zealand over the last six years.

''Every time somebody chooses to take a party pill is a time when they choose not to come into contact with gangs, buying dangerous and highly addictive illegal drugs and putting their lives on the line.''p> ''It's important we get this issue in perspective - 26 million party pills have been sold in New Zealand, most of which were sold in a completely unregulated market.

''While there have been some headaches, there has not been a single case of anybody suffering lasting negative effects from them and the evidence is clear that they are keeping people away from P,'' he said.

''If we ban party pills, we have to be prepared to see people go back to methamphetamine, with all the death and destruction that goes with it.''

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/search/3906195a6009.html

[psycho joe]

the thing is that alot of backyard chemists are now makin BZP, getting harder to regulate, due to some of the backyard shit hitting the stores, watch for the IRD crackdown due soon.......

[Alfa]

If new zealand bans piperazines, then the people that have already sold 26.000.000 doses, will surely replace it with whatever they can find. Which may be less problematic or extremely problematic, but since there has been no deaths from BZP, I can see little sense in taking that gamble.
I wonder what the NZ gov would do if the follow up turned out to be extremely problematic and they'd wish they'd never outlawed BZP. I doubt they'd turn around then.

[Thirdedge]

Originally Posted by Alfa

If new zealand bans piperazines, then the people that have already sold 26.000.000 doses, will surely replace it with whatever they can find. Which may be less problematic or extremely problematic . . .

That combined with a Meth, Coke and MDMA explosion . . .

I do believe further regulation of Piperazines is required, (eg: banning advertising, compulsory retailer education, maximum dosages etc), but a straight out PROHIBITION will have deadly consequences.

If only we learned from history rather than repeating the same mistakes.

[psycho joe]

well i'd dispute that, the meth explosion has happend, almost passed, and the new zealand economy is not yet ready to embrace the like of cocaine, dont get swim wrong ALOT of coke now passes through New Zealand, but NZ is just used as a beacon for trades to Australia and other countrys, NZ hasnt really got the market for coke, the reason meth is so popular here is that its so easy to make, but with the restriction on the sale of pfed etc etc etc, its drying up slowly,

ask anyone in NZ these days what they think of BZP and piperazines, and swim bets that %80 of the reply will be "that fuckin crap? nah mate, the comedown is just not worth it"

[pankreeas]

I find it strange how NZ is still like the only place one can acquire bzp from.. any reason behind it? From what i've read they are only illegal in Aus and USA. Just seems weird that someone hasn't jumped on that huge opening there.

[Thirdedge]

Well without getting into sources, barrel loads of BZP are generally bought from China for approx one dime per dozen
Holland used to sell BZP as A2 but it became prohibited.
New Zealand was the first country to start sneaking it into what were previously herbal highs, under the guise of pepper extracts. Buy the time the NZ authorities figured out what BZP auctually was usage was at epidemic proportions.
The UK tried to copy NZ but were shut down by their health dept.
The US of course were quick to jump into PROHIBITION mode, with Australia following suit, although technically it was already illegal in the land of Oz under federal analogue act.
Other countries seem to have found it better to import pre-packaged product from NZ rather than set up there own manufacture, probably because of the risk of getting shut down before making back their investiment / set up costs.
If NZ bans BZP it will no doubt start to be supplied by other countries.

[Thirdedge]

Swim believes the Meth and BZP markets are roughly at the same point . . .
Both have peaked and started to decline, but both are still very popular.
We are living in an age where stimulants are needed by many people who work long hours and require something to cheat the body clock on the weekend. Swim doesn,t believe people will stop using substances like Meth or BZP until either:
A) their lifestyles change (eg: in the 1980,s Heroin was popular due to unemployment giving people excess time).
B) A better product or substances comes along. (Cocaine is a better substance in Swims opinion and thus it would be the perfect time for it to explode onto the market. (the quality and availibility have both greatly increased in recent years).
If BZP was to be PROHIBITED, swim sees the market dividing into 3 options (of course many will indulge in a mix of these 3 options).
1) Users stop taking stimulants altogether.
2) Users settle for the next best legal stimulants. (this could range from energydrinks and weight loss pills to research chems like 2-AI)
3) Users substitute BZP for illegal stimulants like Meth, Coke, MDMA and even psychedelics like LSD.

Of course as mentioned above by Alfa the companies who have done well from BZP will no doubt release substitutes, these will generally fit into option 2 above.

[Thirdedge]

Imagine life without booze, writes The Southland Times in an editorial.

No pubs. No drunk drivers. A big-time drop in family violence. Healthy livers.

Then one day some bright spark comes up with this grand new substance that blurs the vision long enough to make life seem brighter. It's called alcohol.

What should the Government do? Ban it or embrace it? That's exactly the dilemma the law-makers face with the growing use of party pills. These are smart wee capsules of substances such as benzylpiperazine (BZP) that give a short-term buzz, hence the euphemistic nickname herbal highs. But that's quite misleading since the active ingredients are produced synthetically.

Drugs Policy Minister Jim Anderton this week released advice from the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs, which said the pills should be under the same C classification as cannabis.

That would make them illegal but the Government hasn't taken that step yet, with Mr Anderton saying he won't be rushed into banning the pills. He made the advice public so people would know the risks.

The pills have not been directly linked to any deaths but there are known "severe adverse effects".

It would be easy to react instantly and ban the pills: They cause problems so let's get rid of them.

But Mr Anderton and his Government colleagues must consider the other side of the ledger, particularly against a background where more people are using natural products for alternative health care. Just take a quick look inside any health store.

The other possibility is that regular users deprived of party pills will turn to stronger, addictive, illegal substances such as cannabis, speed or even ecstacy for recreation and to stay alert.

Advocates of the pills, including the Social Tonics Association of New Zealand, say it would be better to keep sales out in the open. Like alcohol and tobacco, there could be strong regulations on who can buy the pills and where. Ban the marketing, they say, rather than the product.

There would be some sense in doing that, particularly when one of the biggest problems appears to come when the pills are combined with alcohol. That mix creates so many variables the results are hugely unpredictable.

This debate looks on the surface to be a no-brainer but Mr Anderton is wise to be taking a cautious approach. The decision must be one based not on morals and emotions but on evidence from serious research on the effects these products have on users.

Natural products such as cannabis, opiates, alcohol and tobacco are banned or restricted for good reason.

Many synthetically produced substances, including life-saving medicines, can be used legally only on prescription issued by professionals trained in their benefits, side effects and the effects of mixing the drugs. Should these new drugs be any different? Otago's National MP Jacqui Dean, a battler against the pills, has taken a shot at Mr Anderton for shuffling his feet, thereby "risking the lives of many young New Zealanders".

But if figures being quoted this week – of 10 million pills being sold during the past six years, and one in five Kiwis using them – are correct, then the situation is beyond a quick fix.

The Government must be convinced of the need to ban before it moves, with sound laws in place and the resources to enforce them. There can be no half-hearted measures.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/search/3907420a6566.html

[Thirdedge]

Party pill millionaire distributor Logan Millar warns that a ban on BZP will push New Zealand's drug industry underground.

Mr Millar, whose company Advanced Herbal Supplements produces the A-class party pill range including Charge, said Government moves to ban the pills followed the entry of "cowboy" suppliers to the market.

The industry, which Mr Millar entered five years ago, had become problematic only as new competitors had increased benzylpiperazine (BZP) dosages to dangerous limits to gain market share, he said. BZP is the key ingredient in party pills, which when combined with trifluoromethylpiperazine, or TFMPP, mimics the effect of the drug ecstasy.

The industry is estimated to be worth $20 million a year with about 40 pill producers, selling to more than 600 outlets.

Mr Millar, who confirmed he had made millions from selling the pills, said a ban would not end his business, but could affect his 16 staff.

Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton has moved to make BZP and other common ingredients in party pills illegal, after a recommendation from an expert advisory committee on drugs.

Research, which includes a cancelled Wellington study following adverse effects, has shown that the pills can cause migraines, vomiting, hallucinations, confusion, insomnia and seizures.

Mr Millar said the industry had successfully regulated itself till two years ago using a voluntary code of practice, developed by the Social Tonics Association.

The code stated a maximum BZP dosage of 200 milligrams a pill, or 600mg a packet. But Christchurch producers were making pills with up to 500mg of BZP a tablet, he said. If dosage limits and the industry's code was made mandatory, serious health side effects could be removed, he said. "There will always be a few problems, but the (effects) will be far less.

"The police are going to have a tough time - I firmly believe party pills have helped keep the P epidemic down."

The Drug Foundation agreed that a ban would unlikely stop the substance. Regardless of the legal status of drugs, people still used them, executive director Ross Bell said. "We should persist with tighter and improved regulations over party pills because they allow the government greater control over availability, potency, quality and price of pills than an outright ban could," he said.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/search/3907468a11.html

[Nagognog2]

Let's see here: Outlawing "Party-Pills" will create an underground market for them, eh? Okay - so here we have someone willing to break the law and make a purchase choice. In one hand we have some MDMA or some meth (P). Now in the other hand we have some BZP. Which one would a person likely choose if the risks of arrest were about the same? Hmmm.....tough call. NOT!

Kiss your lucrative market bye, bye Mr. Millar.

[Thirdedge]

As a general rule Swim would agree with you - BZP will not survive (well) in an underground market. It is however interesting that most NZ criminal gangs are already selling pure BZP, (street name Humma) as a sideline to there illicit products. Some people do prefer BZP to Meth.

[Thirdedge]

The committee set up to advise on the appropriate legal status for the amphetamine-like substance BZP and other such drugs used in party pills has recommended that it join cannabis and the like as a class C drug, says The Press in an editorial.

This would make it illegal to sell, buy or possess the drug, with jail terms of up to eight years for importing, making or supplying it and up to three months jail and a $500 fine for possessing it. The Associate Minister of Health, Jim Anderton, who set up the committee, says he will consider the advice and decide what to do over the next three months.

The question he should consider is not whether there are some good reasons for banning the substance. As the committee shows, there are. It is whether the benefits of banning it would outweigh the drawbacks. Banning it would be sure to reduce the supply of the drug and probably some of the demand for it, but that would be outweighed by other less desirable effects.

The committee considered the matter as a health problem. The well-known occasional side-effects of the use of party pills containing BZP – insomnia, headaches, nausea and vomiting – are relatively minor, and may be a result of drinking alcohol with them, but the main concern is that the long-term effects of their use are not known. Although there is no recorded case of anyone dying anywhere in the world solely from using party pills, the effect on the brain of heavy and prolonged use is entirely unknown. Australia and the United States, among other countries, banned BZP because of the possible health risks.

Those bans were imposed before party pills had got a grip. In New Zealand, party-pill use has exploded and the bureaucracy has been caught flat-footed by it. As the committee notes, BZP is widely available and actively marketed. About 20 per cent of the population aged 13 to 45 admit to having used party pills containing BZP, including nearly half of males aged 20 to 24. New Zealand is now considered to be the world centre for party-pill manufacture. The suggestion of a ban now smacks very much of trying to get the genie back into the bottle.

Because the industry developed so quickly and spontaneously, it has operated entirely unhampered by regulation. There are no rules governing the standard of the product apart from the general law. The effects of BZP are unpredictable in any event, but the quantity of it in various types of party pill varies significantly so that users may not be aware of how large a dose they are taking.

A ban would certainly stop the open manufacture and retailing of party pills, stopping the big profits being made by some of the not particularly savoury characters involved in the trade. But it would just as surely drive it underground. Some demand would drop away because of fear of prosecution, but not all. It is too late now to hope that the market would disappear entirely. More worryingly, at least some thwarted users of party pills could also be tempted to turn to other drugs.

Rather than attempting to prohibit the drug, the Government would be better advised to resort to strict regulation on its manufacture and sale. Health and safety standards should be drawn up and enforced. There is already an age limit of 18 for the sale of party pills containing BZP. That should be rigorously applied.

In the meantime, Anderton is right to publicise the health risks, real and possible, of using party pills. But those risks should not be overstated. At present the proved risks seem to be less than those associated with alcohol or tobacco. They certainly do not warrant a ban.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/search/3907475a14337.html

[Thirdedge]

Sun 24 Dec 2006 Party pill ban crazy

Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton this week took the first steps to make benzylpiperazine (BZP) and other ingredients in party pills illegal, following a recommendation from an expert advisory committee on drugs.

The committee's report said BZP posed a "moderate risk of harm" to users.

When BZP is combined with trifluromethylpiperazine (TFMPP), it mimics the effect of ecstasy.

With names like Charge, Jax, Devils, Red Hearts and The Grunter, party pills have become a $20 million industry in New Zealand.

Nic Cairns, owner of New Plymouth's Mindfuel Smartshop, said prohibition was not the answer as it had failed time and time again.

"Obviously I think it is a pretty silly idea. I think it will lead to a huge explosion of methamphetamine use," Mr Cairns said.

Regulations should be tightened up to eliminate the cowboys, but the pills were no more harmful than alcohol.

"All of the effects that they mention you can get from a bottle of alcohol.

"The pills are on a par with alcohol with their health risks and should be regulated as such."

Mr Cairns said his shop had stocked BZP-free products for some time.

"You ban one and three more move in to take their place," he said.

Stardust Creations co-owner Jeff Scarrow, who owns four outlets across the country selling party pills, said the ban was not justified.

"It's crazy to ban it, because what are people going to substitute it with?

"It doesn't do any harm, unlike other drugs," Mr Scarrow said.

The Government was over-regulating and forcing too many rules on New Zealanders.

Walking down the street posed a moderate risk to people, he said.

Party pills were a big part of the businesses' turnover and a ban could force some of his shops to close, Mr Scarrow said.

BZP is banned in the United States and Australia. Victoria was the last Australian state to ban the substances in September this year.

The committee recommended the substances be classified class C1 – the same as marijuana – under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Trick or Treat owner Shirley Kemp said there was nothing wrong with BZP, as long as it was kept under control.

Ms Kemp said the pills had been sold for six years without any problems.

"Two years ago, I thought that they were going to ban them and we stopped stocking them."

If the pills were banned, it would force them underground where there would be no restrictions on who bought them. "If you want 12-year-olds using (party pills), then ban it," Ms Kemp said.

Social Tonics Association chairman Matt Bowden said there had not been a case where the pills had caused any lasting negative effects during the six years they had been on sale.

Mr Bowden said the evidence clearly showed the pills were keeping people away from illegal substances such as methamphetamine, also known as P.

Source : Taranaki Daily News

[Thirdedge]

To ban or not to ban, that is the question, says the Taranaki Daily News.

The Government – especially Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton, whose drugs-affected daughter committed suicide in 1993 – is sorely tempted to outlaw at least some of the broad range of so-called party pills. The most powerful, and therefore popular, of them contain chemicals with long and unpronounceable names but known in the trade as BZP and TFMPP.

The packets carry warnings about mixing the pills and taking them with alcohol – which, since the product sneaked in under the regulatory radar in the late 1990s, has had the inevitable result of users doing exactly that.

In 2002 the Government banned Fantasy, known by its chemical initials GHB, and in 2004 ratcheted by the law another notch by restricting sales of all party pills to those over 18. It is now under pressure to ban them, if not totally then at least the most toxic of these psychoactive pills.

Its Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs has recommended making BZP and TFMPP-based stimulants illegal – at the same Class C level of prohibition as cannabis – apparently because some people, an acknowledged tiny minority, have suffered unpleasant side effects such as nausea and headaches. Alcohol can do that on its own.

Additionally, the marketers of the party pill have a valid point when they argue that 26 million pills have been consumed in New Zealand in the past half-dozen years with not one known fatality directly attributed to the drugs' consumption.

Surveys indicate that half of males aged 20-24 have used them, and one in five across both genders aged between 13 and 45 – and 15 per cent of this age band in the last year. Such a strong market presence is not reason on its own to give up on trying to rid them from the shelves, especially the counters of the ubiquitous corner dairies frequented by children.

However, adding another layer of legislation, and another burden on the policing agencies, will need to have demonstrable benefits. Banning any popular product or activity never makes it go away. Every health and law enforcement department in the world knows that prohibition drives such habits underground, where even less savoury types than those currently doing the retailing will happily meet the demand.

Clearly some tightening and discouragement of the scene is required, but it is obvious that this would not be achieved by prohibition. As with alcohol sales, the 18-year limit should be strictly enforced and the best way to do that to charge an errant retailer and hope that the courts will respond appropriately. The maximum levels of BZP and its like should be set in law, and sales prohibited in premises that sell alcohol.

Beyond that, regulation would be self-defeating, further reducing respect for the law and its enforcers among an at-risk age group. As always, the most effective remedies and restraints lie with parents. Children have to be made aware of the temptations and dangers – and the fact that life is full of choices. Self-control is always the best control.

Source: Taranaki Daily News

[Alfa]

Here is a poll on New Zealand national TV wether or not piperazines should be banned or not:
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411425/945203
At this point 66% says yes. Please add your votes!

[~lostgurl~]

Party pill hoard foils ban

Sunday January 28, 2007
By Jonathan Marshall
NZ Herald

Party pill manufacturers have developed and stockpiled thousands of BZP alternatives in preparation for an expected Government ban.

Advertising campaigns have begun for mind-altering products that don't contain BZP, but use substances such as kava and caffeine instead.
The newest pills - expected to replace the multi-million-dollar BZP party pill industry - are in secure storage awaiting trials and approval. The developers are remaining tight-lipped about the chemical make-up of their new party drugs but say that the ingredients are not regulated under current law.

Last weekend the Herald on Sunday revealed that a government-funded study into the effects of benzylpiperazine, or BZP, had to be abandoned after trial participants started suffering nausea, dizziness and hallucinations.

Cabinet is expected to meet in May to decide on the future of BZP. Party pill industry insiders are predicting the substance - contained in the 20 million party pills sold since 2005 - will be prohibited, as is the case in Japan, Denmark, Greece, Sweden and Australia.

One of the men behind the new non-BZP pills, who asked not to be named, said: "it will be an exciting time for us, we are going to try and make it better than BZP and much cleaner". He said the industry was "gearing up" for a ban and developing alternatives because "it is quite serious this time, more than ever actually, and we don't know what is around the corner so we need to be ready". Radio advertising was being booked with major networks, he said.

Already in shops are four non-BZP products made for people with an "instant need for turbo speed".

ESR scientist Dr Keith Bedford said it was likely such products contained plant extracts.

According to an article published last September in New Scientist magazine, the next craze for a legal high is likely to be kratom, an extract from a tree native to south-east Asia that's been dubbed the "herbal speedball" for its euphoric and energising properties.

The chairman of the Social Tonics Association of New Zealand, Matt Bowden, wants government consideration given to all substances that have a similar effect as BZP.

"If there is a ban on BZP it would be sensible to put a catch-all mechanism in place so that manufacturers can't just develop copies," he said.

But the Minister responsible for drug policy, Jim Anderton, said he was not "sufficiently briefed" on BZP alternatives. "I've been given no information on this and will need to seek advice."

Anderton said he was not surprised about the latest developments. "These people are interested in making money and don't really care about people's well-being."

"It is a constant battle and there is no final solution."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...ectid=10421246