BZP PILLS FOUND TO HAVE ILLEGAL ELEMENTS

Party Pills Marketed As Being Legal Have Been Found With Illegal
Drugs In Them, Police Say.

Police national crime manager Detective Superintendent Win van der
Velde said recent tests found that some pills which contained BZP,
which is currently legal, also contained drugs such as MDMA or
ecstasy which is illegal.

"There is now scientific evidence that the line between illicit drugs
and what are deemed as 'legal party pills' is becoming increasingly
blurred," Mr van der Velde said.

He said other pills sold on the black market as ecstasy had also been
found to contain other illegal substances.

Anyone buying these pills should realise they were taking risks with
their health, he said.

"There have been recent cases where people have been known to take
'party pills' without having any idea of the origins of the pill or
ingredients, and, as a consequence, have suffered severe illness."

These included a man who died after allegedly taking "unknown pills"
in Levin last week, and a Greymouth man on life support in
Christchurch Hospital.

"Those responsible for distributing these types of drugs are breaking
the law and could receive heavy penalties if caught and charged in
court," Mr van der Velde said.

Police spokesman Jon Neilson said the BZP pills mentioned as having
illegal elements weren't necessarily those sold over the counter as legitimate.

"We're just saying that these types of pills are out there and people
should check what they're taking."

A December report from the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs said
BZP-based party pills should be put under the same C drug
classification as cannabis.

However, the Social Tonics Association of New Zealand (STANZ) has
said banning the pills will only push the market underground.

STANZ chairman Matt Bowden said only regulation could protect pill users.

"It is no surprise that MDMA pills, which are themselves illegal,
should also contain other illicit substances."

Neither was it a surprise that they may also contain BZP, said Mr Bowden.

"This is exactly what happens in a black market. The customer has no
come-back against the manufacturer and no guarantee that the product is clean."

Mr Bowden said people needed to accept there would always be a demand
for mood-enhancing drugs.

The best response would be to seek to provide the safest products
possible, including a requirement on manufacturers to list product
ingredients on the packaging, through existing powers available under
the Misuse of Drugs Act.

"Unlike methamphetamine and most other drugs, BZP is not addictive
and does not promote violent or criminal behaviour," he said.

"It is also relatively safe to use provided people stick to the
recommended dosage and do not mix with other drugs or alcohol, and
provided good manufacturing standards are adhered to.