Pubdate: Mon, 31 Mar 2008
Source: Hawke's Bay Today (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2008 APN News & Media Ltd
Contact:  http://hbtoday.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2947
Author: Hinerangi Vaimoso

BAN ON PARTY PILLS FUELS STREET DEALS

BLACK-market offers of pure benzylpiperazine are  already circulating 
the streets of Hawke's Bay ready  for the ban on party pills which 
starts at midnight  tonight.

Users are being offered pure BZP, the only active  ingredient to be 
banned, at prices as low as $20 a  gramme. Each of the banned party 
pills contains between  75 and 200 micrograms of the stimulant and 
retail for  about $5 a pill.

Hastings CIB detective Dave de Lange said police were  aware of the 
possible street dealings once the law came  into effect and were 
ready to enforce the ban.

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, the law will mean BZP  will be treated 
as a class C drug, putting it in the  same category as cannabis, and 
will carry penalties  that could include three months in prison.

Suppliers could be jailed for up to eight years.

"Some people may choose to stockpile them in order to  sell or 
supply, but they will pay the consequences,' Mr  de Lange said.

"If people choose to ... they can surrender any  tablets to the 
police in order to avoid prosecution.'

Users have been given a six-month amnesty to use up  their existing 
supply of party pills, however.

The personal use threshold is no more than 100 pills or  five grammes of BZP.

The banned substance is known to have an  hallucinogenic-amphetamine 
effect on users creating a  euphoric high. Its safety was brought 
into question by  the Ministry of Health when some users suffered 
from insomnia, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, palpitations,  muscle 
spasms, and urinary retention.

The side-effects didn't seem to deter customers at  Marewa Liquor in 
Napier, however, which sold out of its  party pills by Saturday.

Marewa Liquor manager Avtar Singh said while many  retailers slashed 
prices to get rid of stock before  tomorrow, his were sold out at 
retail price by the  weekend.

"We had lots of people come in thinking they would be  cheap, but 
there was too much demand.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom