PILL CONTROLS PREFERABLE TO FULL BAN

Nothing stands still for long in the party pills business. In six
years, it has made deep inroads into the community. One study says
one in five people between 13 and 45 has tried them, and about 15 per
cent of people in that age group used them in the past year. The
political repercussions have also gathered pace. A year and a half
ago, Parliament restricted the sale of party pills to those aged over
18. Now, the Government is being advised to follow the lead of the
United States and Australia and outlaw them.

The suggestion comes from the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs,
which has studied research on the danger of party pills containing
benzylpiperazine (BZP). Previously, it has resisted recommending a
ban. Now it says that, although there is no evidence of any deaths
from the pills, BZP-related seizures, even at relatively low doses,
could prove fatal. That potential was increased by the pills'
frequent use with other substances, such as alcohol, and in high doses.

The committee's advice, which tallies with that of many in the
medical profession and the police, is to give party pills a similar
classification to cannabis, making it illegal to sell, buy or possess
them. It rejects tighter restrictions on the pills under misuse of
drugs legislation because this would require "a significant
administrative and enforcement capacity", as for the likes of tobacco
and alcohol.

The committee concedes there is no guarantee a ban would lead to a
decrease in the use and availability of party pills. But it cites an
encouraging experience with Fantasy. And it suggests that the
side-effects of party pills, such as insomnia, headaches and nausea,
make them unlikely to be a drug that people would seek if they were
less available, more expensive and carried the risk of a fine or imprisonment.

That is an optimistic perspective, owing more to principle than
practice. Many committees have had to decide what to do about
substances that pose a risk of harm but are in popular demand. A
strong sense of morality, perhaps reinforced by observation of the
impact of the drug, has led some to opt for a ban. That is most
likely to drive trade in the substance underground, making it more
dangerous and much more difficult to control. Already, there have
been warnings from the party-pill industry that a ban would hand the
trade to gangs.

The committee's confidence might be more justified if party pills
were used by only a limited number of people, or there were easily
obtained substitutes. But a Massey University study found they had
been tried by nearly half of males aged 20 to 24. That is not a group
known for revering strictures of the law. Equally, there is no
alternative legal option - only far more dangerous mood-enhancers
such as Ecstasy and methamphetamine.

A more sensible course would be tighter regulation of party pills'
manufacture and sale, including controls on the amount of BZP in each
pill. Pill doses that are higher than recommended are a significant
cause of potential harm. Aside from greater quality control, there
should be stricter advertising restrictions and a ban on the pills
being sold in shops that sell alcohol. At the very least, this would
make the pills safer, pending more definitive research on the
long-term consequences of BZP use.

Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton is promising to conclude
consultation on the issue by March. Then a Cabinet committee will
decide whether to accept the advisory group's advice. The temptation
will be to ban the pills. It should be resisted. A black market is
afflicted by many more problems than is one that is tightly and
effectively controlled.