CALL FOR PERSPECTIVE ON LEGAL PARTY DRUGS

Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton says alcohol and tobacco remain the
most dangerous drugs in New Zealand, despite concerns about so-called
"legal high" party pills in Dunedin.

Concerns were raised earlier this month about the drugs, which go by names
including Charge, Rapture, Blast and Exodus, after five people needed
treatment at Dunedin Hospital in one night for side-effects.

Mr Anderton, in Dunedin to meet staff running a new drug and alcohol abuse
project yesterday, said he was awaiting a report from the Expert Advisory
Committee on Drugs, which has been investigating the legal party drugs to
see whether they should be restricted or banned.

He vowed to follow the advice of the experts and support whatever
recommendation the committee made, but called for perspective when
comparing the legal highs to tobacco and alcohol.

"We should actually keep this in perspective. . . The most dangerous drug
in New Zealand by a country mile is alcohol and everyone knows that," Mr
Anderton said.

Police statistics backed that. Up to 95 per cent of all violent crime they
dealt with involved alcohol.

However, he stopped short of saying he supported a ban on alcohol and
tobacco when pressed: "I acknowledge and understand why we can't ban
alcohol. . . the Americans tried it and it led to Al Capone," he said.

Mr Anderton said he was "real conservative" when it came to drugs and
alcohol, and worried about the unknown consequences of using legal party drugs.

"You don't need mind-bending or behaviour-altering drugs or alcohol to have
a good time. . . Any drug that affects your behaviour or keeps you up all
night I would worry about, because the effects might not be fully
understood," he said.

There was anecdotal evidence party drugs like those seen in Dunedin were
causing problems elsewhere in New Zealand, but "nothing substantial enough
to act on", he said.

The report into party drugs was expected within a day or two, Mr Anderton said.