NEWS: NZ 13/6/06 - "Party pill research doesn't justify prohibition"

Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 4:42 pm
Press Release: Green Party

13 June 2006

The findings of the first of four research projects into party pill use and its effects are being welcomed by the Green Party, with a note of caution that they should not be used to justify total prohibition.

The research, which shows that as many as one in five New Zealanders have tried BZP or party pills, was released by the Ministerial Committee on Drugs today. It also found that 60 per cent of those surveyed believed there should be tougher regulation of the sale of the pills.

"The Green Party also believes that the sale of party pills should be subject to strict regulation, but we would be very disappointed if this research were used in any attempt to justify total prohibition of BZP," Green Party Alcohol and Drugs Spokesperson Metiria Turei says.

"We have learnt from the past with the examples of alcohol and cannabis that prohibition simply does not work. As the research points out, the risks of BZP are still largely unknown. The best chance of dealing with them successfully as they emerge is to ensure that party pills are a legal substance which can be regulated, rather than prohibiting them and confining them to underground use where the risks cannot be taken into account.

"The fact that the rate of use is so high among New Zealanders highlights this, as prohibition would effectively criminalise one fifth of the population.

"The best tool we have against harm from drug use is information, so it is great to see this research being produced. I am looking forward to the results of the remaining three projects. I hope that all the findings are used to help develop sensible regulations around the use of BZP in New Zealand," Mrs Turei says.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0606/S00215.htm

Click to expand...

Party pill use more common than thought
13 June 2006


As many as one in five New Zealanders have tried "party pills", new research has found.


The study, the first of four research projects commissioned by the Ministry of Health on party pill or BZP use and its effects, found the number of New Zealanders dabbling in "legal highs" was much higher than previously thought.

The chairman of the Ministerial Committee on Drugs, Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton, said he was concerned about drug use and "the tragic consequences it can have on young people's lives".

"We know very little about the long-term effects of party pills in general and BZP in particular.

"This is why the Government has commissioned research to find out more."

The Government might consider outlawing them in the future, he said.

According to research by Massey University's Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation (SHORE), one in seven people in the phone survey had used legal party pills over the past year.

About half said they had taken them only once or twice in that period.

Mr Anderton said the information from the study would be referred to the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs (EACD) to consider at its next meeting scheduled in July.

The committee would be reviewing the status of BZP when more evidence on its dangers were known, he said.

"The EACD will then consider what further measures might be warranted to reduce the potential for harm.

"This might involve further regulating the manufacture and supply of BZP or, potentially, recommending that it be made illegal."

About half the party pill takers said they had suffered from sleep problems.

Other side effects included poor appetite, hot and cold flushes, heavy sweating, stomach pain and nausea, headaches, tremors and shakes, loss of energy, strange thoughts and mood swings.

Party pills are legal but they cannot be sold to under 18-year-olds or advertised in major media - TV, radio or print.

About 60 per cent of all people surveyed said they supported tougher regulation of party pill sales.

The latest research showed 20 per cent of those surveyed had tried party pills or BZP and 15 per cent had used them over the past year.

Use was greatest among 18 to 24-year-olds with up to 38 per cent saying they had taken them over the past year.

Nearly half of these people supported prohibition of party pills.

Reports from the other studies were expected over the next six months.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3699293a10,00.html

Click to expand...

About half the party pill takers said they had suffered from sleep problems.

Other side effects included poor appetite, hot and cold flushes, heavy sweating, stomach pain and nausea, headaches, tremors and shakes, loss of energy, strange thoughts and mood swings.

Click to expand...