Clubbers in search of a legal alternative to ecstasy have been warned against the use of benzylpiperazine, known as BZP or PEP pills, reports The Guardian today. BZP is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act, meaning it is legal to possess the drug, although sales to the public are banned under the Medicines Act. Medical experts however are warning that use of a drug marketed by some vendors as a harm minimisation solution carries with it risks of serious and potentially fatal side effects.
A report in this weeks Lancet describes one weekend in May 2006 when seven BZP users were admitted to St Thomas Hospital in London suffering from seizures, abnormal heart rates and anxiety. One 18-year-old had bought BZP pills thinking them to be ecstasy or amphetamines and collapsed after taking five. The user appeared to have had a seizure lasting ten minutes.
The Lancet reports that standard medical tests may not pick up BZP, and warns it is potentially life-threatening. One of the report's authors, John Ramsey, a toxicologist at St George's hospital in London, told the Guardian: "We have no real idea how widespread the use of this drug is, as it is rarely reported. But it is quite clear it should be a controlled drug."
The drug is under assessment by the Home Office after a joint Europol and European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addictions (EMCDDA) report called for an urgent risk assessment. The results, due in June, may lead to a ban in the European Union; if the drug is not banned by the EU the Home Office may ad BZP to the list of substances controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act.
In March this year the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) announced a clampdown on those selling the drug, warning vendors that they could face prison sentences and an unlimited fine.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Posted: 27th April 2007
For more information please contact Ruth Goldsmith in the DrugScope Press Office on 020 7940 7517 (07736 895563 out of hours) or at press@drugscope.org.uk
