Report into ban on P ingredient

A report on whether the main ingredient of P can be banned will be sent to the Government in the next few days.

Prime Minister John Key announced in May that his new chief science adviser, Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, would investigate whether it was possible to ban pseudoephedrine from cold and flu tablets.

The aim is to stop "pill shoppers" who buy tablets from pharmacies and sell them to gangs, which use the pseudoephedrine to make methamphetamine, commonly known as P.

The Prime Minister made his comments after a week-long Herald series on the devastating effects of the drug.

Sir Peter told the Weekend Herald his report would reach Mr Key next week but he could not say what it recommended.

"It's an advisory report. The Prime Minister will digest it and from there he will decide whether it will impact on policy or not."

Sir Peter earlier told the Herald the issue would be whether cold and flu tablets that did not use pseudoephedrine were as effective as those that did.

The main alternative is phenylephrine, which is available in an increasing number of brands. Both drugs are meant to clear blocked noses.

Apart from the health issue, the Government will have to consider whether banning pseudoephedrine will have much effect.

Police estimated last year about 70 per cent of the pseudoephedrine identified in P labs came from cold and flu tablets bought from pharmacies.

But since then police and customs officials say there has been a huge increase in pseudoephedrine smuggling direct from China.

Customs regularly makes seizures of up to 100kg and estimates organised crime syndicates could be bringing in up to 15 million pills a year.

Pharmacy Guild chief executive Annabel Young has argued virtually all the P produced in the upper North Island now comes from smuggling.

But drug consultant Mike Sabin said a ban would still hurt many "Ma and Pa" P labs, which rely on pill shoppers.