Party pills restrictions just too late

Anti-drug campaigners are welcoming yesterday's announcement of new restrictions on the sale of legal party pills, but say the Government should have acted at least a year ago.

Drug Foundation president Ross Bell said he was pleased dimethylamylamine (DMAA) was being classified as restricted under the Misuse of Drugs Act but said the move had "taken far too long".

"We knew that as soon as BZP was banned the industry would have an alternative ready to go on the market," said Bell.

"And that's what happened the day after the ban. These DMAA products hit the market and there was absolutely no controls over them.

"I understand why health officials have to follow the process, but it's our view it could have been done a lot quicker."

The Ministry of Health advised the Government's advisory committee on drugs to restrict DMAA late last year.

That followed a voluntary recall of DMAA products in powder form after four Waikato users were admitted to hospital suffering serious side effects. The products remained on sale in pill form.

DMAA is a stimulant derived from geranium plant oil and usually mixed with caffeine to make party pills. It is said to give the user an adrenalin rush, and hit the shelves after BZP-based substances were banned in April last year.

At the start of this year, the industry estimated about 100,000 DMAA-based pills had been sold since the BZP ban.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has also indicated the Government will restrict the sale of DMAA to capsule and tablet form and that there will be strict labelling and packaging requirements. He was confident the new measures would be in place by early next year and that the industry would comply.

But Bell is concerned the party pill industry will have a new product ready to get around the latest restrictions.

Matt Bowden of party pill developer Stargate International dismissed Bell's concerns as "wild conjecture".

Bowden welcomed the regulation of DMAA and said he would work with the Government to develop a maximum dose per tablet.