HUNDREDS OF ONE4B SACHETS SOLD IN CAPITAL

Up to 400 sachets of the new party drug One4b were sold in Wellington
till the Ministry of Health ordered the Auckland supplier to recall
them.

Four people have needed hospital treatment in Auckland after taking
the drug, prompting the Ministry to order a recall and begin an
investigation into possible breaches of the Food Act and Medicines
Act.

One4b contains 1,4 butanediol, which is also found in GHB or Fantasy,
and can cause dangerously low breathing rates, unconsciousness,
vomiting, seizure and death.

The effects are magnified if taken with alcohol or other drugs.

Mark Barlow, of Auckland supplier Outerspace, said today about 8000
sachets of One4b had been produced of which about 1000 had been sent
to three or four distributors in Wellington, of which about 300-400
had been sold.

Mr Barlow declined to name his Wellington distributors.

One4b, marketed as a recreational dietary supplement, was not sold
through stores.

Mr Barlow said One4b was sold through an 0800 number listed on its
Internet site.

Orders could not be placed over the Internet site due to technical
difficulties.

Mr Barlow said he was co-operating with the Ministry's investigation
and about 1000 sachets had been returned so far.

But he still believed One4b was safe so long as the directions were
followed and it was not taken with other drugs.

Information that suggested it was unsafe had come from the United
States' Federal Drug Administration which was using "pharmacetical
industry propaganda," he said.

"The only deaths attributed to GHB were when someone consumed enough
of something else to kill them or when they wrapped a car around a
powerpole."

A spokesperson for Capital and Coast Health said today no cases of
One4b had been reported at Wellington Hospital.

Wellington Medical Officer of Health, Stephen Palmer, said today he
had received no reports of anyone being poisoned by the drug.

People who want to safely dispose of the substance can hand it in to
health protection officers with Hutt Valley Health's regional public
health service.

Director-General of Health, Karen Poutasi, said yesterday the
Ministry of Health and the police were investigating Outerspace for
possible breaches of the Food Act and the Medicines Act.