Pubdate: Tue, 29 Nov 2005
Source: Herald On Sunday (New Zealand)
Contact:  2005 New Zealand Herald
Website: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4035
Author: David Fisher

HUMAN GUINEA PIGS FOR PARTY PILL

Human trials are being carried out on a new synthetic legal high that
is designed to mimic the effects of Ecstasy.

The new drug, called Ease, is being sold privately by legal high
designer Matt Bowden to a "clinical trial" group of volunteers.

Mr Bowden was behind the creation of the current crop of BZP-based
pills which have turned into a massive industry with an estimated 20
million pills sold in the past five years.

Mr Bowden said Ease had shown none of the damaging characteristics of
Ecstasy in early trials on animals.

"Animal studies suggest it does not share the mechanism by which brain
damage and addictive effects are thought to be produced, and so Ease
should have considerably less potential for harm than Ecstasy."

But the new secret compound and the trials have brought concern from
associate health minister Jim Anderton, who told the Herald on Sunday
he had sought legal advice from the Ministry of Health and the Crown
Law Office.

Mr Anderton said the advice from the health ministry had warned
against potential high liability over public risk because of the human
test subjects.

He had yet to receive advice from Crown Law. "I've asked ... what are
the legal issues around trialling substances that could have harmful
effects on human beings without all the safeguards in medical trials?"

Mr Anderton, who described himself as "inherently conservative" about
drugs, said Mr Bowden should consider trialling his product, as
pharmaceutical companies did, in repeated, controlled laboratory
trials, before human experimentation.

"If in trialling it on human beings it is shown not to be safe, they
have trouble on their hands."

Mr Bowden said the trial product did not have the neurotoxic
properties that Ecstasy had. He said he hoped the new pill would help
Ecstasy users stop taking the illegal drug and switch to something he
believes is safer.

"This is an innovative, yet commonsense approach to minimising the
harm of illegal drug use."
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake