Party pill ban boosts illegal drug sales

The Press
Last updated 00:00 20/08/2007

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Two months on from Government moves to ban BZP, surrogate party pills have yet to hit the market – leaving the door open for a new wave of illegal drugs.

Police and the party-pill industry say that without a genuine legal high alternative, BZP users will turn to harder drugs like P and ecstasy.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Long, of the Christchurch drug squad, expects new synthetic drugs, such as 2CI (a stronger psychedelic than ecstasy), will be smuggled into the country once the BZP ban takes effect.

"There are other drugs international syndicates are looking at bringing into New Zealand if there's a vacuum," he said.

"It's all about making money. If there's a market and a demand, they will try and meet it."

Under tough new legislation being drawn up by the Government and likely to be enacted by the end of the year, BZP (benzylpiperazine) and TFMPP (Trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine), the main ingredients in party pills, have been classified as a Class C1 drug, the same as cannabis.

Rules are also being drawn up to make party-pill manufacturers prove their products are safe to stop them rolling out new psychoactive substances to replace BZP.

Most manufacturers have already developed second-generation, non-BZP pills, but are not releasing them until the new rules are decided.

In the interim, the best substitute people can get are pricey caffeine pills, such as Pepe and Nirvana, that are no stronger than a standard cup of coffee.

Chris Fowlie, manager of the Hempstore, said without a legal pill to match the "buzz" of BZP, people would look for their high illegally.

Nine in 10 of his customers had said they would resort to illegal drugs, 10 per cent would drink more alcohol.

"No-one has said they'll stay home and do nothing," he said.

Long said Christchurch users keen on matching the effect of BZP would most likely use ecstasy and GBH.

"It's not that hard to get those sorts of drugs if you want them. It's endemic in the nightclub scene here."

The owner of the Lab party-pill store, Dean Davies, is testing several new generation pills, but will not release them until the new regulatory regime is in place. He has sold his BZP stock.

Caffeine surrogates on sale at the Lab had not sold well, he said.

Herbal Heaven will be selling new BZP-free pills in the next couple of months, but Rachel, at the chain's Worcester Street store, does not expect them to sell well.

"They're just vitamin B. Most people want that BZP buzz." She expects many of the store's customers would return to illicit drug use.

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Party-pill manufacturers and retailers – part of an estimated $35 million industry – have hired public law specialist Chen Palmer to fight the ban.

Social Tonics Association chairman Matt Bowden said the group was working with Chen Palmer on its select committee submission and proposals to the Law Commission and Ministry of Health on a regulatory framework for new pills.

"When everybody is happy with a system, we'll roll forward with our new product."

Manufacturer Zaid Musa, who produces Enjoi pills, has just released a new BZP-free pill – in Europe. He will not release it here until his lawyers have cleared it against new safety rules.

His lawyers are also vetting laws in Fiji as he plans to shift his manufacturing offshore once BZP is banned here.

Musa said it has been difficult to source TFMPP for manufacture since the Government's announcement.

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