Youths hit by 'herbal highs' -- NZ (merged)

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Youths hit by 'herbal highs' -- NZ

Youths hit by 'herbal highs'
15 November 2004
By ANNA CLARIDGE

Christchurch emergency doctors are warning partygoers of the dangers of "herbal-high" pills as the number of sick revellers filling hospital beds rises.

Christchurch Hospital's emergency department is seeing at least six patients a weekend suffering from severe paranoia and dehydration after taking the apparently safe herbal drugs.

Emergency medicine specialist Dr Martin Than said yesterday that partygoers were arriving at the hospital hysterical and requiring sedation.

The herbal pills are legal and have a mild hallucinogenic-amphetamine effect, similar to that of illegal drugs, such as P, speed and ecstasy. All are sold over the counter, and are advertised as a safe, legal alternative to illegal highs.

"These things are sold on the streets, and there are no warnings," Than said.

"One girl that we had in here (yesterday) said she was just handed a plastic bag with the pills in it – no warnings, no labels, nothing."

The active drug in the pills, commonly known as herbal ecstasy or herbal speed, is Benzylpiperazine.

It typically causes euphoria, but can result in agitation, vomiting, abdominal pain, seizures and abnormal heart rhythms.

In rare cases, users may suffer from serotonin syndrome, which can cause death.

Than said the public needed to be educated on the dangers of "herbal highs".

"There is a public perception that these are a safe and harmless way to have fun, but it's important for the public to know that the side-effects can be very serious," he said.

Christchurch Hospital staff said those affected were usually young women in their late teens or early 20s.

"The classic case is a teenage girl coming in here at one or two o'clock in the morning, hysterical and screaming ... I guess they think it's safe and they'll be fine, but the reality is they are still taking a very strong drug," one doctor said.

Most patients said they took only one or two tablets, and were stunned at the effect the herbal pills had had on them.

Last week, politicians and drug educators moved to have herbal highs classified under a proposed new drug category. That could mean possible age restrictions on sales and better warning labels on packets.

Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell said last night that the pills lured users into a false sense of security, and his organisation supported the establishment of a fourth drug classification.

Under the proposed changes put to Parliament last week, a fourth drug category would be added to the present A, B and C classifications. The D category would encompass herbal pills.

"The Drug Expert Advisory Committee have decided there is no evidence that herbal drugs should be classed in the A, B or C categories but they have recommended a fourth class to put these herbal highs into ... This would provide an opportunity to put controls around labelling and age limits on sale," Bell said.

There was already an "industry self-regulating code" among most sellers of herbal pills, which included who they were allowed to sell to and warnings about the pills, he said. "We agree with the expert advisory committee that there needs to be controls around these drugs," Bell said.

"This is a multimillion-dollar market and it does need controls around how these things are marketed."

The active drug in herbal highs is Benzylpiperazine. The street names it is sold under include A2, Blizzard, Herbal E, Purple Pills, White Butterfly, C4, Herbal Ecstasy, Jump, Triple Crown, Zoom, Euphoria, Green Fly, Herbal Speed, Purple Frenzy, Shotgun, Viper, Jax, Sweet Tarts and Wannabe.

link: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/0,2106,3096085a6009,00.html
 
'P' is the slang term the local media use top refer to methamphetamine.

All are sold over the counter, and are advertised as a safe, legal alternative to illegal highs.

"These things are sold on the streets, and there are no warnings," Than said.
Click to expand...
lol. The article contradicts itself in adjacent paragraphs.
 
i live in new zealand. these pills are sold at corner stores ubiquitously. BZP is illegal in the states, australia and (i think) britain. i know a few people (regular drug takers) who enjoy it, but personally I experience an intense comedown from it, characterised by headaches, dysphoria and fatigue lasting up to 48 hours after coming down from it.
it elevates my heart rate more than speed does. its mechanism of action is similar to amphetamine, but it is also an a2 adrenergic antagonist. this inhibits normal feedback
on noradrenergic neurons as they release neurotransmitter.

'P,' which stands for 'pure' is generally lousy quality 'crystal' meth (distinct from ice, which is actually worth smoking,) and is absolutely everywhere in new zealand.
a few high profile crimes have been committed in new zealand by people involved with gangs and meth recently. for example, a guy robbed a liquor store, then shot the clerk in the head with a rifle *after* he'd received the money.

anyway, BZP (often combined with TFMPP, in these legal "herbal" pills,) is nasty stuff, IMO.

in addition, there is absolutely nothing herbal about it whatsoever. its a synthetic chemical and it's incredibly easy to manufacture industrially IIRC.
 
Battle lines drawn on legal highs

Battle lines drawn on legal highs

22.11.2004
By CHRIS ORMOND

Three South Islanders took some herbal party pills earlier this year and headed from Christchurch down to Dunedin.

For two days they lost track of where they were. One turned up in a stranger's house, convinced he was at his mate's place in Mosgiel.

In Wellington, the pills - with names such as Rapture, Charge and Blast - have been sold from carts on city streets late at night.

Now they are advertised on radio, with the young and trendy being told they will keep them dancing all night.

Retailers say they are harmless but dodgy dealers are hurting a self-regulated industry. A Dunedin police drug squad head wants them banned altogether and politicians say they are working on it.

The pills contain benzylpiperazine (BZP) and trifluromethylphenylpiperazine - chemicals banned in the United States and in some Australian states, but legal in New Zealand.

Opponents of the pills want legislation introduced that effectively bans piperazines, while others want to see rules introduced to tightly regulate their manufacture and sale.

So far, the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs has resisted recommending a ban after failing to find verifiable reasons to do so.

Support for the pills is lead by the Social Tonic Association of New Zealand (Stanz), established this year, which has set up a code of practice for those selling the pills. It is in effect a self-governing body but affiliation is voluntary.

The general manager of Cosmic, a Stanz member that runs stores in the four main cities, staves off criticism of the product. Murray Muir says he takes a responsible approach to selling the pills.

Unfortunately, not all sellers of the pills adhere to the Stanz guidelines, and some questionable outfits have entered the market recently, he says.

Products are being sold both unlabelled and with levels of BZP up to several times higher than recommended.

Getting access to BZP in bulk is not difficult, he says.

Mr Muir defends his motives for selling the pills.

"They're safe provided you follow the instructions. It's like any product - if you abuse it you can get adverse effects.

"We see ourselves as responsible and reputable and most of industry is. Some want to work outside the guidelines and unfortunately we can't control that."

He says he supports a suggestion that a "Class D" category be introduced by Parliament that would effectively put the party pill industry under similar rules to alcohol and cigarettes.

Mr Muir counters arguments about party pills expanding the drug culture by saying they are promoted as an alternative to harder drugs such as Ecstasy and methamphetamine.

"People come into the shops and say they have had E and speed and want something else.

"For young people, it makes sense to offer them a legal alternative."

Along with the growing promotion of party pills in shops and on leaflets, advertisements have recently been aired on radio.

It's a part of the business Mr Muir is much less comfortable about discussing, and possibly the only aspect of it that niggles his conscience.

Mr Muir says his firm does, from time to time, sell the pills from stalls at private dance parties, but doesn't condone the "energy carts" that have been criticised after appearing on inner Wellington streets at nights.

He also isn't convinced the pills alone could have had such an adverse effect on the young South Island trio.

"Memory loss is not a known side- effect."

However, Dunedin police drug squad head Detective Sergeant Kevin Anderson doesn't buy into claims party pills are substituting harder drugs and would like to see them legislated against.

"It's just another drug out there that people are abusing. It's being targeted at young people straight out of school and at university."

Mr Anderson draws parallels between herbal pills and methamphetamines and says the lack of quality control is dangerous.

Claims they are safe if taken responsibly are more or less a contradiction, he says.

"If they are safe, why do they need warnings on them?"

Along with the immediate negatives, Mr Anderson says the weakening of moral attitudes is also a concern.

"You have to question the mentality of society where people have to have mood-enhancing drugs to have a good time, and unfortunately that's where we're at."

United Future MP Judy Turner says there is evidence doctors are treating young people who claim to have taken the pills.

But questions remain as to whether the adverse effects arise from combining them with alcohol or other drugs, she says.

The US ban on piperazines is temporary while more research is done, Mrs Turner says.

Green MP Nandor Tanczos says there is no obvious evidence to suggest piperazines cause harm but he would like to see advertising for the herbal pills banned.

A political outcome is not expected until well into next year.

What is BZP?

* Benzylpiperazine (BZP) is the predominant ingredient in herbal party pills and is derived from the pepper plant.

* It was first developed in the United States 60 years ago as a potential anti-parasitic agent but later found to have anti-depressant properties - something drug users were quick to pick up on.

* It is banned in the United States and in some states in Australia.

* There are conflicting reports as to the extent of the health side-effects caused by consuming BZP.

- NZPA

Link
 
* Benzylpiperazine (BZP) is the predominant ingredient in herbal party pills and is derived from the pepper plant.
Click to expand...
I thought I read that this was bullshit; that it was completely synthetical and in no way related to the pepper plant. Does anyone else know more about this?
 
It's ironic that these "recereational" drugs, which are legal and advertise themselves as "safe, legal, herbal highs" are actually at least as dangerous as scheduled drugs. Why don't they simply make BZP and TFMPP scheduled into one of the existing schedules. I'm not familiar with NZ's scheudling system, but in the States, they are in Category 1, maybe cateogry 2.
 
Many illegal chemicals could be sold in place of BZP, provided there was some consistency in the quantities, and of course instructions and warning on how to take the pills safely. importantly BZP on it's own is very rough - from my experience. the extra ingredients in these pills make it much better.

the danger of synthetic chemicals is generally the way they are taken.
 
Really? I could have sworn the active ingredient in those pills contained benzylplacebozine.

I've always been under the impression that they are about as active as an energy drink.
 
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