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PARTY PILLS/HERBAL HIGHS
[From How to DRUG PROOF YOUR KIDS Parent Manual] These pills have received a lot of media attention over the last year, with sales of the pills increasing and problems with them developing. BZP has been recently reviewed to assess whether it should become a controlled substance (restricted or illegal), as it is in the United States and some parts of Australia. The Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs (EACD) made recommendations which included that more research be done on the potential harms of BZP, and stricter policy is put in place about who can sell the party pills, and who can purchase them (They are recommended as R18, but this is not currently enforced by law). The common misconception with these pills is that they are ‘herbal’, this is not the case. They are manufactured from amphetamine-like products, the main ingredient of these pills being Benzylpiperazine (BZP) and some of them also include triflourophenylmethylpiperazine (TFMPP), both of which are synthetically manufactured. Marketing these pills as ‘herbal’ is misleading, as most contain synthetic ingredients. BZP and TFMPP both come from a class of chemical compounds known as piperazines. These compounds have no current therapeutic uses in humans. Why kids like it
Because of the pills stimulant effects, they are popular within the dance scene, and some use them to combat the depressant effects of alcohol. Can cause euphoria and alertness. How it hurts kids - It is not recommended to use these pills with other drugs (including alcohol), as the piperazines appear to be very sensitive to interactions with other drugs and many people report having bad experiences when doing so.
- Dehydration may also be associated with BZP, which poses risks within the dance scene of overheating (particularly when taken with other drugs), or over re-hydration.
- Other health complications with the piperazines are over-working the cardiovascular system; in particular raising the blood pressure, which may cause damage to the heart, kidneys and brain.
- Nausea , hallucinations in high doses , a fter effects include sleeplessness and a sometimes a bad ‘hangover’.
What kids call them
‘Herbal highs’,‘party pills’, Charge, Rapture, Frenzy, Jet and Bliss, with new brands arriving almost daily (or so it seems). These are available anywhere from clothes shops to dairies. How kids use them
Orally REMEMBER: Just because these pills are marketed as ‘herbal’ (which they are definitely not) it does not mean they are safe! Like any drug, they have their risks and are dangerous if misused. SOURCE: WELLTRUST www.welltrust.co.nz
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