PARTY PILLS TURN ON MORE KIWIS

In less than three years, party pills have become one of New Zealand's
most commonly used drugs.

Massey University data made public at the Cutting Edge addiction
conference in Auckland last week showed use of BZP-based pills, which
are soon likely to be made illegal, was nearly level with cannabis use
in 2006.

"Drug use has changed quite a lot in New Zealand," Chris Wilkins, a
senior drug researcher at Massey University's Social and Health
Outcomes Research and Evaluation Centre, said.

"There's more illegal drugs around and we've got this new drug - BZP -
which is hugely, commonly used and it just came from nowhere."

A 2006 national household survey found party pills rated just behind
cannabis in annual usage rates.

"In 2003 we didn't even survey (BZP), but in 2006 it's become the
fourth-most-popular drug."

A comparison of 2006 data with previous drug survey results showed
that alcohol use had increased since 1998, while cannabis and
tobacco-use rates had fallen.

This was probably linked with regulation, Dr Wilkins said. Liquor
sales laws had been relaxed and the legal drinking age had been lowered.

Tobacco controls had been tightened with price increases and
legislation introduced outlawing its use indoors in public places, he
said. "There seems to be some correlation between stricter regulation
and lower levels of use."

There were now also strong negative social connotations linked with
smoking, he said. Efforts to contain use of methamphetamine, known as
P, had paid off with amphetamine use rates falling since a peak in
2001.

But amphetamine use was still high by international standards and
today's users were likely to be more problematic, he said. "What we
end up with now is the real entrenched, dependent users, whereas the
middle-class users have moved off."

WHAT IS BZP?

Active ingredient: benzylpiperazine (BZP) and/or
trifluorophenylmethylpiperazine (TFMPP). Effect: BZP is similar to
low-strength amphetamine, improving energy. Often used to 'dance all
night'. TFMPP reported to have similar effects to ecstasy. About 20
million pills sold in New Zealand since 2000. Reported side-effects
range from mood problems and anxiety attacks to seizures. BZP was
originally formulated as an animal worming agent. When mixed with
TFMPP it helps mimic the effect of ecstasy. What is its legal
status?: A bill to ban BZP passed its first reading in Parliament in
September and is now before the health select committee. The bill,
which has strong support in Parliament, would make BZP and related
party pills class 1 drugs, making people caught possessing them
liable to a maximum of three months' imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $500.