The ill-effects of party pills

Because of their innocuous names and because they are taken orally there is a growing acceptance of the use of chemical substances to facilitate a biochemical change in brain function, or what is usually called 'a high'.

In todays Herald there is a good piece on some of the problems related to these 'party pills'.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10439201

Meanwhile a Wellington-based major clinical trial on party pills and their active ingredients BZP and TFMPP, was pulled late last year after 35 of its planned 64 subjects reacted so badly it was too dangerous to continue.

"We were concerned about the nature and severity of the adverse events range of side effects from anxiety to panic attacks, headaches and migraines, through to vomiting," says Professor Richard Beasley of the New Zealand Medical Research Institute who directed the trial - the first clinical trial in the world.

When a trial like this is terminated it is for ethical reasons. Having identified that the drugs are causing harm, the trial has to be terminated to prevent causation of further harm.

Also introduced in this article is the 'gate-way' theory where it has been identified that taking 'softer' drugs leads to taking 'harder' drugs. What causes this is uncertain but it could be due to an alteration to the chemical composition of the brain.

Banning these substances is not going to work, as it it will just drive these 'businessmen' underground. They are quite simply making too much profit to give up destroying so many young lives.

"PARTY PILLS"

The Government has been advised to outlaw the sale of "party pills" by an expert committee which has been studying their dangers.
The pills can be legally purchased by those over 18, but critics say their main active ingredient benzylpiperazine (BZP) is dangerous and pill doses are often far higher than recommended, leading to significant potential harm.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10416231

It irritates me intensely when these dangerous drugs are described as either "party pills" or "herbal highs". They are neither! They are mind altering chemicals that are being marketed under these guises by soulless businessmen who want to make money.

They have been shown to alter the "wiring" in the brain PERMANENTLY through new axon and dendritic growth. We do not know what the long term effects they have on behavior, this will all come out later. In the mean time do you want to play Russian roulette with your brain?

People are taking varying amounts of these pills that are made from an unknown recipe, with unknown quantities in them and then get in a car and drive, not knowing what effect this will have on their safety on the road. What idiots!

Prescription medicines have to pass through rigorous scientific testing and then are reviewed by independent pharmacology and medical experts before being allowed to be prescribed by doctors to the public. There are quality controls in the manufacture that ensures the correct dosage. If the same drug is subsequently manufactured by a different company, the process is repeated before they can be used in New Zealand. The manufacturers of these "party pills"are literally getting away with murder.

Comparisons are being made to alcohol, and quite rightly so. However since the beginning of time man has made alcohol, and when used with caution, does not cause harm. Excessive use causes destruction of brain tissue, alteration of mood, altered reflexes and perception, violence and accidents. These facts are known to the public. Idiots who drink themselves to a standstill will face the consequences. There are also laws against the misuse of this drug.

People argue that by controlling these substances, there will be greater exposure to other drugs such as "P". This message is being trumpeted by the manufacturers of BZP containing drugs and is nonsense as many users of "party pills" will experiment with other drugs too. What is more important is that the culture of having to take a drug to improve their ability to party needs to be altered.

I do not agree with Jim Anderton about much, but I do agree that there needs to be control of these substances, the sooner the better.