Party pills

drug-info-partypills
Friday, August 28, 2009

  1. What it is

    Party pills (BZP) are psychoactive substances that have recently been introduced to the recreational drug scene.

  2. Health effects

    Short-term effects
    Although there does not appear to be evidence that these drugs pose an overdose risk, taking more than the maximum dosage (normally listed on the packaging) can lead to very unpleasant feelings. Short-term effects include:

  3. Dependence, addiction and overdose risk

    There is no known risk of physical addiction although there could be a risk of psychological dependence. There is no evidence to indicate a lethal dose limit for party pill compounds, although a person who takes excessive amounts will experience very unpleasant feelings of nausea and vomiting, as well as anxiety and paranoia.

  4. Law and penalities

    From 1 April 2008, BZP and related substances became a Class C1 controlled drug, with the same penalties as cannabis plant.

  5. Drug trends

    Since the introduction of party pills (bzp) in New Zealand around the year 2000, an estimated 8 million tablets have been sold, contributing to an annual industry turnover of $26 million per year.

  6. Reducing the harm

    The Drug Foundation’s message is clear: no drug use is the safest drug use. But we realise there will be occasions when people ignore warnings and use drugs. In order to limit the harm from their drug use, we provide information about effective methods of drug harm minimisation. Such information directly benefits the person using drugs, and also protects the wider community.

  7. How to get help

    There are a number of treatment organisations that can help. If you feel that you or anyone you know needs help, then you can call these services in strict confidence.

  8. Links

    A report produced by Victoria University Recreational Drug Using Behaviour and Legal BZP Party Pills.

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