Bitter pill for partygoers 

Party pills are to be banned in New Zealand and classified as a Class C1 drug - the same categorisation as cannabis.

Cabinet has approved Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton's recommendation to ban BZP and related party pills, which have become one of the most popular recreational drugs in New Zealand.

BZP is banned in Australia and the US but the industry here is worth around $24 million a year.

The Misuse of Drugs Act will be amended to make the pills a Class C1 substance. Possession of a Class C1 drug can lead to a $500 fine or three months in jail.
Anderton, who has long advocated for the pills to be made illegal, says there will be a six month amnesty for people found in posession of BZP products if it is less than five grams for personal use.

"Cabinet was mindful that these products have been legally available for some years and, while wanting to stop both their manufacture and sale as a matter of urgency, did not wish to immediately criminalise those who may still have some of these substances in their possession for personal use," he says.

The Drug Foundation is questioning the value in banning the pills, but welcomes the amnesty period which provides time for party pill users to get informed about the changes and avoid immediate criminalisation.

Those arguing against a ban have said it will create a blackmarket and a regulated legal industry would be a better option.

Alongside the decision to reclassify party pills, it has also been announced that there will be a complete review the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Drug Foundation Executive Director Ross Bell says the act is 30 years old and a review is welcome.

"The introduction of party pills exposed the weaknesses of our current law. There was nowhere in the schedule to place party pills, and even though they'll now be scheduled, we're still left unable to deal with any new substances cooked up by clever chemists," says Bell.

Anderton says a bill dealing with the reclassification of BZP is being drafted and is expected to be introduced to parliament in the near future. He hopes to see its passage before the end of 2007.