Pubdate: Thu, 17 Jul 2008
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Katie Mercer, The Province
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/BZP

'SOCIAL TONICS' SEIZED FROM SHELVES

Pills Touted As 'Safer Legal Alternative to More Dangerous Street Drugs'

LOWER MAINLAND - Hundreds of products sold as "social tonics" were
taken from several adult stores in the Lower Mainland by Health Canada
and police officials in a simultaneous Canada-wide seizure.

Health Canada warns that the products, purported to be the "new breed
of club pills" by Toronto-based company Purepillz, contain
unauthorized drugs.

Tony Perry, who had 300 to 400 units of the product seized from his
several Fantasy Factory adult stores in the Lower Mainland, said he
would have pulled the product himself if Health Canada had issued a
warning before taking action last week.

"They could have told me that they thought they were illegal. I would
have taken them off the shelves," Perry said of the mild psychedelics.
"I was stunned they would come and seize them and then issue a warning
saying they're illegal. That's upside down."

Perry, who has been selling the packets of pills in his stores for the
past four months, said he doesn't understand why the legality of the
pills is becoming an issue now.

"I've seen them in trade shows for the past couple of years and
naturally we assumed they were legal,"

Perry said. "We sell all kinds of gels and lubes. If I had to ask
everyone about the legality of every ingredient, I would be out of
business."

Purepillz's website describes the products -- "Peaq," "Freq,"
"PureRush" and "PureSpun" -- as "safer legal alternatives to more
dangerous street drugs."

But Health Canada says the products contain benzylpiperazine (BZP) and
3-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (3-TFMPP), which may pose serious
health risks similar to street drugs.

Effects can include increased body temperature, increased blood
pressure, dilated pupils, increased euphoria and alertness and
paranoia. When the two ingredients are taken together in high doses
they may also cause hallucinations, convulsions and slowed breathing.

While BZP has been banned in the U.S., it was declared a controlled
substance by the European Union in March and can be sold legally in
Canada.

Purepillz told The Province that the BZP formulas used in their
products were developed in New Zealand as a harm-minimization
initiative over eight years ago to reduce demand from drugs such as
crystal methamphetamine.

Health Canada is currently assessing the product to determine if the
substances can be regulated under the Controlled Drugs and Substances
Act. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake