Worming agents in party pills

LAWRENCE GULLERY
People taking party pills beware: You're ingesting a chemical once used as a worming agent for cows and is now a restricted substance in the US and Australia.
Party pills, also known as legal highs, herbals or herbal highs, are legal drugs but health authorities have major concerns about the tablets' rise in popularity.
So much, the Hawke's Bay District Health Board's (HBDHB) alcohol and drugs addiction prevention unit wants to organise a petition early next year to have the recreational drugs banned.
It is hoped the results of the petition if in favour of a ban would be used to support Associate Minister Jim Anderton's call to make ingredients in party pills illegal.
Little is known about the physical and mental health effects of party pills but what is known is that the tablets often contain two ingredients: BZP (benzylpiperazine) and TFMPP (triflouro-methyl-phenylpiperazine).
BZP was introduced as a worming agent for use in the agriculture industry but was found to be ineffective. Australia and the US have banned the drug but New Zealand has been slow off the mark to follow suite.
The Government's Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs has put restrictions on party pills but found insufficient evidence to make them illegal.
HBDHB health promoter, Sandy Keen, said many people were not aware what chemicals the drugs contained and it was disappointing they were being promoted as "herbal" drugs.
"Everything on the container is labelled and it says the pills contain BZP, but it doesn't say it's got a cattle drench drug in it.
"What is also a concern to me is that a lot of youths using party pills are now coming through our addition services," she said.
Mrs Keen said another concern was the increase in hospital admissions involving people who had taken party pills combined with alcohol.
Mixing the two drugs could be dangerous, she said. Party pills were legal to sell, but had restrictions under the Misuse of Drugs Act: The tablets could not be sold to anyone under the age of 18.
The tablets mimic the effects of drugs such as speed, ecstasy and LSD. Party pills can be bought from many shops as dairies around Hastings and Napier.
A survey from the HBDHB's mental health services from June 2005 to November 2005 showed 31 percent of the 64 young people questioned from Hastings and Napier had used party pills.
Cannabis was still the most highly used drug among those surveyed (58 percent) with party pills running in at second place.
Party pills were introduced to New Zealand in 2000 and it is estimated eight million tablets have been sold since then, setting up an annual industry turnover of $26 million. Ms Keen was hoping to raise public awareness of party pills following a television news item this week where it was claimed banning party pills would encourage people to use harder, illegal drugs.
The claim was made by Social Tonics Association chairman Matt Bowden; the group represents pill manufacturers in New Zealand.
Ms Keen did not believe there was a connection; people would not use illegal drugs if party pills were banned. She was however, keen to see the results of the petition, asking for a ban on party pills, planned for January next year.
"It would be interesting to see if people support that," she said.