Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Nasty mixtures

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  • Russell Brown,

    Regulating BZP won't stop E from containing BZP ...

    But it will prevent the surprise-package dosages of BZP that seem to have been an issue in Christchurch. When some kid necks a freelance party pill that turns out to be five times stronger than the next one is when you get problems. At the moment, you can sell the stuff by the gram in dairies and I don't think that's optimal.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • MikeE,

    "At the moment, you can sell the stuff by the gram in dairies and I don't think that's optimal."

    I currently purchase my BZP legally by the gram (not from dairies however). And its the only way I can actually consume it (I gag on pills of any type, I even have dissolvable panadol when).

    The proposed regs could possibly make this illegal. Why should I be treated like a criminal for consuming a substance in this way vs someone who has it in pill or capsule form.

    If you want quality and strict measurements then you buy a retail product that is labelled. That is no reason to criminalise those of us who prefer to purchase it in other ways.

    I don't know of any dairies selling BZP by the gram (but have heard rumors of such from Christchurch - which seems to be the home of retarded BZP use).

    If selling it in weighted bags becomes illegal, people will still purchase it that way if its their preferred method of use. All criminalising/regulating it will do is increase the likelyhood that its cut with other substances if they are forced underground.

    Washington DC • Since Nov 2006 • 138 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    If you want quality and strict measurements then you buy a retail product that is labelled. That is no reason to criminalise those of us who prefer to purchase it in other ways.

    I guess so, but given that random dosage from cowboy operators seems to be the cause of most problems ...

    I don't know of any dairies selling BZP by the gram (but have heard rumors of such from Christchurch - which seems to be the home of retarded BZP use).

    Yes. As I noted, the difference in ED admissions between Christchurch and Auckland warrants some sort of explanation.

    PS: I'm actually going to be in Christchurch this weekend doing various things for a forthcoming project, and the city's curious fondness for BZP overdosage, NOS etc is something I'd like to look at. If anyone can suggest an informed commentator, I'd be glad to hear of it asap. Just click the little envelope icon under my details to the left there.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Matt Bowden,

    Let's be really clear about what happened here.

    The police seize street ecstasy pills and ESR test them.

    The police put out a statement saying:

    Recent tests have revealed that pills submitted for analysis as suspected MDMA (commonly referred to as "ecstasy") have been found to contain other illicit drugs and in other cases "party pills", which commonly contain legal benzylpiperazine ( BZP) have been found to also contain illicit drugs.

    ESR then clarified that they were not talking about pills bought at shops meaning that the police must have deliberately fudged their wording to create the impression that pary pills contain illegal ingredients.

    What annoys me is that the story should have been that:

    Around two thirds of ecstasy pills out there contain other dangerous drugs.

    I found out from Keith Bedford that rather than MDMA, BZP and P, they are saying that most pills sold as ecstasy (two thirds) contain a cocktail of other chemicals. I can't say exactly what but for example a restricted medicine (not K) plus a phenethylamine plus a new research chemical. Some of the research chemicals are analogues of psychedelics and some are analogues of piperazines.

    The interreactions of these chemicals with each other is completely unpredictable. In the past NZ ecstasy has largely been moderate dose MDMA.

    What we should have got was a warning of a "Bad E" trend, like the bad acid warning in the woodstock movie, but we got this interference when it filtered through the police spin machine and ended up with a party pill beat up.

    Of course if I make this point I set myself up for accusations of vested commercial interest.

    Suffice to say that this lack of quality control is a sad side effect of prohibition, the only cure for which is tight regulation and standards around manufacture as proposed here: www.stanz.org.nz

    Ah well, don't forget to contact the Ministry of Health and identify yourself as an interested party and ask to be consulted if you are affected by changes in this legislation.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 6 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The interreactions of these chemicals with each other is completely unpredictable. In the past NZ ecstasy has largely been moderate dose MDMA.

    What we should have got was a warning of a "Bad E" trend, like the bad acid warning in the woodstock movie, but we got this interference when it filtered through the police spin machine and ended up with a party pill beat up.

    And the interesting thing is that the most useful reporting on this is from users via Pill Reports, which the authorities would presumably shut down if they could.

    If we were a bit more grown-up, there would be, as an earlier commenter said, specific ESR-sourced warnings about specific adulterated pills. That would be the public safety thing to do.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • MikeE,

    "If we were a bit more grown-up, there would be, as an earlier commenter said, specific ESR-sourced warnings about specific adulterated pills. That would be the public safety thing to do."

    That would be assuming that the police were there to promote public safety and harm reduction - which based on my experiance with the police is not their prime concern at the moment.

    Washington DC • Since Nov 2006 • 138 posts Report Reply

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