Party pills may cause seizures

Party pills have been sold without regulation since 2000, and are now widely used by young New Zealanders.

The study by a group of Canterbury health professionals, reported in the New Zealand Medical Journal, found that between April and September, 61 patients were admitted on 80 occasions to Christchurch Hospital's emergency department suffering from adverse reaction to the pills.
The patients had taken an average of 4½ tablets or capsules, which have the main ingredient 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP).

The patients were found to be suffering from mild to moderate toxicity resulting in insomnia, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, dystonia, and urinary retention, with some adverse reactions lasting up to 24 hours.

Of the 61 patients admitted, 15 suffered toxic seizures with two left in a life-threatening condition.
The study highlighted the case of a 16-year-old Christchurch teenager with no history of seizures or drug abuse who took four pills over a 1½ hour period.

She collapsed in a crowd suffering from a general seizure, and an ambulance was called.
After another seizure, the girl was given two doses of diazepam, which left her totally unresponsive and in an extremely deep coma.

The girl had three further seizures in Christchurch Hospital's emergency department, and was transferred to an intensive care Unit (ICU).

Twelve hours later she was still slightly comatose, and a week later she reported that she "felt unwell but better."

The study said of greatest concern was that BZP appears to induce toxic seizures in neurologically normal subjects.

Of the patients who had seizures after the ingestion of party drugs, one had known epilepsy, but the remainder had no past history of neurological disorders.

The study concluded BZP could cause unpredictable and serious toxicity in some individuals.
It said patients with seizure disorders, psychiatric illness or coronary disease should avoid BZP as should those taking prescription antidepressants.

Congestion with MDMA or amphetamine should also be avoided, as the combination could lead to fatal toxicity, it said.

The Journal said results from the study should be carefully considered in any discussion on the legal status of piperazine-based party pills.

The Ministry of Health has previously said there was inadequate information about BZP to put stronger controls on its distribution at present.

It has commissioned research into BZP toxicity and studies are under way at the National Poisons Centre and other centres.

A Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) No 3 Bill has also been enacted with a new category of controlled but not banned substances, which includes BZP.