BZP PILL STOCKS SELLING ON STREET

Party pills containing the class C drug BZP are being sold on the
streets by people who stocked up before the substance was outlawed,
say police and a pill manufacturer in Nelson.

Nelson manufacturer Dale Johnsen, whose Party Schnaks brand is sold in
shops nationwide, said that despite BZP being banned from shelves
three weeks ago, people were still buying it.

"There is still a lot of BZP being sold on the streets."

Banning the substance had made it more valuable, he
said.

"It's doubled the value straight away. It could become another street
drug."

Mr Johnsen, who used to buy BZP from China, said he now made "100
percent legal" pills using ingredients he imported from the United
States.

The Health Ministry is investigating claims that new-generation party
pills are making people sick. Mr Johnsen said some people had reported
that pills bought in Nelson had made them ill. However, he put this
down to users not following dosage instructions printed on the packets.

"They're taking five instead of one."

Last week, Environmental Science and Research scientist Paul
Fitzmaurice said the ingredient citrus aurantium was a source of
synephrine, which was structurally similar to the controlled drug
ephedrine and would cause a similar stimulant effect on the nervous
and circulatory system.

Mr Johnsen said that although pills containing citrus aurantium were
being sold by retailers in the Nelson region, he had chosen not to use
the substance in his pills.

Nelson Bays police area commander Inspector Brian McGurk said people
had stocked up on BZP pills before the ban, and were legally allowed
to have pills for "personal use" for the next five months.

Police were waiting out a "discretionary period" while people were
still entitled to have 100 pills containing BZP, he said.

Although Nelson police were not aware of BZP pills being distributed
in large quantities, Mr McGurk said some people were "getting rid of
their stocks".

"We fully expected people to take advantage of the window of
opportunity."

Pillz and Thrillz owner Ann Kincaid said sales of new-generation pills
had been steady in the three weeks since BZP was banned.

"We're still here; we're still in business. We haven't gone
away."

Mr Johnsen, who managed the Bridge St store, said it still attracted
up to 100 people on busy days.

The most popular pill was called Explode, which Mr Johnsen said was
about half the strength of the old-style BZP pills. A packet of four
sold for $40.

More than 20 different pills, containing ingredients such as guarana,
caffeine and geranium extract, were sold at the store.

He did not believe that banning BZP would make his pill manufacturing
business unprofitable.

Ben Bowden, who owns the Invisible store in Takaka, said he stocked
six kinds of the new pills and more were coming on to the market all
the time.

Many of his former BZP customers were trying the new pills and were
happy with them, he said. "They're not as full-on."

However, Tim Kelly, owner of Nelson store Gizmos, reported slow sales
of the new pills.

"We've got a couple of different ones but they haven't really picked
up."

However, sales might improve once people finished their stocks of BZP
pills, he said.

The Drug Foundation has called for a voluntary moratorium by retailers
until independent tests are carried out on the new pills.