EXPERT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DRUGS
MEETING

Wednesday, 29 November 2006, 8.30am – 1.30pm
Terrace Room 4, Terrace Conference Centre, Level 3, St John House, 114
The Terrace, Wel ington

MINUTES

    EACD MEMBERS PRESENT

Dr Ashley Bloomfield (Chair)
Rajesh Chhana
Dr Keith Bedford
Dr Helen Moriarty
Paul Campbell
Adrienne Fruean
Dr Stewart Jessamine
Professor Tim Maling
Dr Geoffrey Robinson
Peter Marshall

SECRETARIAT ATTENDING
  Chris Laurenson
Mark Heffernan
Bruce Atmore
Olivia Stapleton

1.   WELCOME

Dr Bloomfield welcomed members and introduced new Committee
member Adrienne Fruean, the new consumer representative and new
EACD Secretariat members; Mark Heffernan and Olivia Stapleton.

2.   APOLOGIES

Professor Doug Sellman

Dr Helen Moriarty joined the meeting at approximately 11.30am and
Rajesh Chhana left the meeting after the agenda item 6 discussions.

3.    DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

No conflicts of interest were declared.

4.     CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD
    30 March 2006

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 July 2006 were confirmed as a true
and accurate record of that meeting, subject to minor grammatical
changes.

Authorisation was given for the minutes to be placed on the website.

It was noted that some members had expressed concern over the level of
discussion detail included in the current format of the meeting minutes.
The Commit ee discussed the process of finalising the minutes for
publication and provided further directions to the Secretariat.

5.0  MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MEETING HELD 27 JULY 2006

Report on actions arising from 27 July 2006

5.1   Minute item 5.7 Methylone Trials

The Chair advised that class C7 may not be an appropriate classification
for methylone as this class provides generic analogue provisions.  Legal
advice is currently being sought on the most appropriate classification.

5.2   Minute Item 8 2C-T-7

2C-T-7 was discussed under agenda item 11.

5.3  Minute Item 9 BZP Research

The Minister has been updated  on progress with the BZP research and
informed that further advice on BZP wil  be provided following the current
meeting.

BZP was discussed under agenda item 6.

5.4   Minute Item 11.1 General Business – Indan(e)s and Aminoindan(e)s

Providing the EACD with an assessment of indan(e)s and aminoindan(e)s
for further discussion was deferred due to other agenda priorities.

Action:

Secretariat to provide an assessment of indan(e)s and
aminoindan(e)s for discussion at a future meeting.

5.5   Minute Item 11.2 General Business - Thalidomide

Providing the EACD with a paper on Thalidomide was deferred due to
other agenda priorities.

Action:

Secretariat to prepare a paper for the Committee on Thalidomide for
discussion at a future meeting.

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6.    BZP UPDATE

The Secretariat had prepared an overview paper summarising recent
research findings on benzylpiperazine (BZP) and phenylpiperazines.  The
EACD previously considered BZP in April 2004 and concluded that there
was insufficient information available to provide the Minister with a
recommendation as to whether this substance warranted classification
under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. For this meeting, EACD members
were provided with a package of relevant information on BZP including
research reports, preliminary research reports, email correspondence, and
a coroner’s report.  The following is a summary of the main findings and
discussion points.

The Committee discussed the implications that classifying BZP in one of
the Schedules to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 would have on
enforcement agencies, and also the potential for increasing controls
through the implementation of regulations.  The practicality of operating
and administering a regulations framework was questioned and the
Committee’s attention was drawn to the extent to which overlapping
sections of the Medicines Act 1981 and Medicines Regulations would
need to be considered.  It was further noted that there would be a need to
constantly update regulations in parallel with industry development and the
capacity of the Ministry of Health to adequately implement such changes
with current resources was questioned.

6.1  Report by Wilkins et al, Centre for Social and Health Outcomes
Research and Evaluation (SHORE), Massey University

Earlier this year the Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and
Evaluation (SHORE) at Massey University published a report titled “Legal
party pil  use in New Zealand: Prevalence of use, availability, health harms
and ‘gateway effects’ of Benzylpiperazine (BZP) and
Trifuorophenylmethylpiperazine (TFMPP).” The study population
comprised a random sample of 2,010 people aged between 13-45 years.
The report was discussed at the July 2006 EACD meeting. The
prevalence findings were again noted.  It was also noted that the correct
full name of TFMPP is ‘trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine’.

Dependency
Members commented that the dependency rates in the study were
relatively low (2.2%) compared with the psychological dependency rates of
subjects in the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ) study
(approximately a fifth of the sample). It was noted that 25% of the
subjects in the MRINZ study had alcohol dependency, indicating that this
discrepancy in dependency rates may have been due, in part, to the study
population for the MRINZ study.

The Committee noted that aspects of the culture of BZP use, including the
administration of other licit and il icit drugs to mitigate the adverse effects
of ‘the come down’ following use, could be an indication that BZP is not
considered to be a pleasant drug.

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Gateway Theory
Evidence from this study provides little support for the gateway theory, that
easy access to party pil s increases young people’s propensity to try il icit
stimulants. However, it was noted that the gateway theory is complex and
the cross-sectional nature of the study precludes drawing any conclusions
on a possible gateway effect.

It was noted that BZP is invariably used in association with alcohol,
suggesting that:
  •  alcohol use may lead to a situation where BZP is then taken either
to experiment with the substance or to counter the depressive
effects of alcohol
•
label warnings on party pil s that advise users to avoid alcohol
consumption when using BZP seem to be ineffective.

Intravenous BZP administration
One  member highlighted the finding that a very small minority of BZP
users were injecting themselves with BZP. Although only one individual
out of a sample of 2,010 people reported injecting BZP, it was considered
important to note that intravenous use of a drug forms part of the criteria
for assessing the harms of a substance in other jurisdictions.

Long term effects
The study contains no information on long-term effects. It was noted that
there is evidence of BZP being used daily for weight loss purposes and
that none of the papers presented to the Commit ee provide evidence on
the long term effects of BZP use.

Noted:

The authors of the study wil  be notified of the incorrect spel ing of
the full name of TFMPP in the title of their report.
6.2  Report by Sheridan and Butler, School of Pharmacy, University of
Auckland

A study by Sheridan and Butler (2006) titled “Legal party pil s and their use
by young people” was considered. This study employed a qualitative
research design and obtained results from young people aged 16-24
years. Results were also obtained from key informants including
representatives from alcohol and other drug services, health services,
education, youth organisations, health promotion, the legal party pil
industry, event organisations and national drug organisations.

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Labelling
The Commit ee commented that this study highlights the ineffectiveness of
the recommended dose and warnings placed on BZP labels as users tend
to consult and follow the advice of friends over the advice provided by the
manufacturers of the products.  One member commented that perhaps
resources should be channelled into BZP awareness and education as
opposed to labelling requirements.

While labelling requirements may have little effect on the amount of BZP
administered, it was noted that dosages could potentially be decreased by
a) increasing the price and/or b) placing restrictions on the amount of BZP
per tablet.

BZP use
The Committee noted that party pil s may not be decreasing the demand
for illicit drugs as BZP’s inferior ‘high’ may render the substance an
undesirable substitute for il icit stimulants.  It was noted that while the
industry claims that party pil s have decreased the demand for
methamphetamine, the National Drug Intelligence Bureau and Customs
Service have stated that they have no evidence that use of these
substances has levelled off or declined.

The legal status of BZP was noted as a possible strong motivation for
individuals to take party pil s, suggesting that some users may be taking
BZP because it is considered safer than il icit drugs and because
accessing BZP does not expose individuals to the risks of legal
prosecution.

Users may be making a trade off between the quality ‘high’ but expense
and illegal status of illicit drugs, versus the relative cheapness and legal
status of BZP, yet inferior ‘high’. Users may also be implementing
strategies to manage the adverse side effects such as the use other licit
and/or il icit substances.

6.3  Letter dated 24 November 2006 and preliminary study results,
National Poisons Centre, University of Otago

The National Poisons Centre is in the final stages of compiling research
into cases of poisoning due to piperazine-based party drugs (PBPD) in
New Zealand.

The study’s authors concluded that toxicity of BZP is not necessarily
dependent on dose and therefore severe side effects may emerge after
consumption of relatively small quantities of BZP. It was noted that the
MRINZ study administered 300mg of BZP (a quantity argued by the
authors as representing the average dose taken by recreational BZP
users) and reported that 41% of subjects who took BZP experienced
adverse side effects.

Members felt this study used a small dataset and that dose range studies
would need to be undertaken to determine the toxicity profile of BZP.

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Noted:

The Chair advised that he wil  provide feedback to the authors of the
study regarding the recommendations made in the report.

6.4  Email of 28 November 2006 from Dr Bruce Russell, School of
Pharmacy, University of Auckland

Dr Russell provided a brief summary of the  research undertaken by the
School of Pharmacy  on the potential effects of BZP on human memory
and neurological function.  The Chair noted that Dr Russell had confirmed
there were 28 people in the study.

The Commit ee noted that in comparison to the MRINZ study, results
showed much lower reports of adverse side effects. This could be due to
the administration of lower doses of BZP (250mg), the use of
pharmaceutical preparations of BZP as opposed to commercially sourced
products, or the demographic of the sample population.

6.5  Confidential draft report dated 24 November 2006 from Medical
Research Institute of New Zealand

This study conducted by MRINZ aimed to investigate the effect of BZP
and TFMPP, either alone or in combination with alcohol, on driving
performance.  An interim safety analysis was undertaken after 35 subjects
had completed the investigative models and, due to concerns about the
frequency, nature, and severity of the side effects that participants had
reported, a decision was made to halt the study. 41% of participants in the
BZP/TFMPP group (with or without alcohol) suffered an adverse event
following use of the piperazines. No severe events were reported in the
placebo, or alcohol-only groups.

It was noted that the adverse events experienced by 41% of the sample is
consistent with the relatively high rate of reported negative or adverse
effects from the other studies.  The increase in blood pressure observed in
this study was considered to be a common effect associated with stimulant
use.

This study is one of the first controlled studies to examine BZP and
TFMPP and Committee members considered the doses used in the study
to be realistic and accurately reflect the typical recreational piperazine
dose used.

Blood levels
Results from the analysis of mean blood concentrations over a 10 hour
period were discussed and show that both BZP and TFMPP had a long
half life, while blood alcohol levels peaked quickly and dropped sharply.
Therefore, an important finding from this study is that BZP has a delayed
onset of action and prolonged elimination and clearance.  This finding was
discussed in regard to the effect it may have on the dose that users take,
as they may take a further dose if the effects are not felt relatively quickly.

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Other issues and potential confounders of the study findings
The Commit ee commented that some subjects may have been BZP
and/or alcohol dependent.  Members also noted the apparently
paradoxical finding that some of the adverse side effects reported by some
subjects during the course of the study had never been experienced
previously despite most subjects being experienced BZP users.  The
experiment was conducted during the morning in a clinical environment
and subjects fasted for six hours prior to BZP administration.  While it was
noted that this may not accurately replicate the environment in which BZP
would generally be taken, it was felt to be unlikely that this would fully
explain the observed adverse effects.

6.6  Interim report dated 28 November 2006, Environmental Science and
Research (ESR)

The primary rationale for this research was to pharmaceutically test a
number of legal party pil s for consistency in levels of piperazines with the
dose  information on the product label and between doses of a given
product.

It was noted that results showed discrepancies in the levels of piperazines
in a variety of party pil  products compared with what is being advertised
on their packaging labels. One particular brand showed a relatively large
variation in BZP content.  It was noted that the testing method needs to be
further validated and test results weighted appropriately. The Commit ee
agreed that while this paper provides an insight into the manufacturing
standards of current BZP products the results would need confirmation
from further testing.

6.7  New Zealand Medical Journal paper by Gee et al, published
December 2005

The Committee had previously seen the report by Gee et al (2005) entitled
“Toxic effects of BZP-based herbal party pil s humans: a prospective study
in Christchurch, New Zealand”. The study documented all presentations
to the Christchurch Hospital Emergency Department use between 1 April
and 1 September 2005 that were associated with piperazine.

It was noted that findings from this study are also covered in the National
Poisons Centre report.

Recent media comment by the lead author suggests that Christchurch
Hospital is seeing less BZP-related admissions, suggesting that perhaps
BZP use is changing and/or products are becoming safer in some way.

The observation that patients are presenting with seizures is an important
finding considering seizures can be potentially lethal. Seizures are also
related to the use of other substances and indeed many of the patients in
this study were polydrug users.  However, three case reports in this
document describe seizures in individuals with only BZP detectable in their
urine samples.

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6.8  Email dated 23 November 2006 from Mr Matt Bowden,  Chair of the
Social Tonics Association of New Zealand (STANZ)

The Commit ee noted an email from Mr Bowden requesting that the
Committee consider taking steps to set a maximum dose limit on party
pills.

Members identified the need for further evidence to determine if there is a
safe dose limit that could ensure public safety. The possibility that placing
dose limits on party pil s is a way in which the industry can create an
artificial barrier to new products was also raised. Members agreed that
there was no robust evidence to substantiate Mr Bowden’s claim that the
availability of party pil s is decreasing the demand for methamphetamine.
6.9  Report from the Levin Coroner on an inquest completed on 23 May
2005

Members agreed there was no evidence in the Coroner’s report to link use
of BZP to this death.  The fact that there have been no reported BZP-
related deaths in New Zealand is an important point when comparing BZP
to the harm caused by alcohol and il egal drugs.
6.10  October 2006 research report by Gee et al at Christchurch Hospital

The Committee noted the supplementary information provided in this
report.  The evidence confirms the same types of side effects resulting
from BZP use and confirms the drop in presentations to this emergency
department in the preceding 12 months.

6.11  Confidential draft report by Wilkins et al, Centre for Social and Health
Outcomes Research and Evaluation (SHORE), Massey University

The Committee noted that adverse effects such as paranoia and auditory
hallucinations were significant reactions. However, the Commit ee
questioned the relevance of assessing the relationship between adverse
effects and demographic data and that it is difficult to distinguish between
cause and effect between such variables.

At this point the chair welcomed Dr Helen Moriarty to the meeting.

6.12  Petition by Jacqui Dean, Member of Parliament for Otago

The Chair noted that it was useful for the Committee to have an
understanding of the public’s views on the impact of BZP on communities.
Jacqui Dean had provided the Chair with a submission on BZP and had
met with the Chair and EACD Secretariat to discuss her submission, with
the Minister’s approval.  The submission was noted by the EACD.

The consumer representative on the Committee agreed that party pil s are
easily accessible and the presence of shops selling party pil s that are in
close proximity to schools is a concern for communities and parents.

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Members discussed the importance of considering anecdotal evidence
when assessing the social impact of a drug. It was noted that some of the
criteria outlined in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 for assessing a drug are
broad and therefore require the Committee to consider social factors in
addition to epidemiological evidence. Customs and Police  informed the
Committee that New Zealand is increasingly becoming recognised as a
primary BZP export source, and that New Zealand’s international
reputation needs to be considered when making a recommendation on
BZP.  While the recommendations provided by the EACD are only one
part of advice considered by the Minister, the Committee needs to present
any information to the Minister that may be important or salient to his
decision.

Options for providing advice

Three possible options for the basis of advice to the Minister were
outlined.
1.  Sufficient information is now available to suggest that use of BZP
poses at least a moderate risk of harm and therefore it should be
classified as either a Class A, B or C drug in the Misuse of Drugs
Act 1975. The advantages and disadvantages of classifying BZP
would need to be outlined.

2.
The EACD does not believe that the information supports a
recommendation on classification but that more regulations should
be put in place under BZP’s current restricted substance status.
The implications of this option would need to be outlined.

3.
The EACD does not believe there is enough information to
recommend classification and the status quo should therefore be
maintained.

Members then assessed BZP against the nine EACD criteria outlined in
section 4B of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.

a.
The likelihood or evidence of drug abuse, including such matters as
the prevalence of the drug, levels of consumption, drug seizure
trends, and the potential appeal to vulnerable populations.

•  BZP is widely available, accessible and actively marketed.
•  BZP is widely used: around 20% of people aged 13 to 45 have ever
used party pil s containing BZP, including nearly 50% of males aged
20 to 24. Around 15% of people aged 13 to 45 admit to using party
pil s in the past year.
•  BZP is almost invariably used with alcohol.
•  BZP is also included in some preparations intended for daily use such
as dieting agents.
•  Public perception is that party pil s are being targeted to people
under-18 years of age. Evidence also shows that under-18 year olds
are using BZP.

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•  Drug seizures are not relevant in this case, although the EACD is
aware that Australian jurisdictions are seizing BZP that has been
ordered over the internet and shipped from New Zealand.

b.
The specific effects of the drug, including pharmacological,
psychoactive, and toxicological effects

•  BZP is an amphetamine-like substance with significant stimulant
effects.  The EACD is of the opinion that the current evidence
suggests that BZP’s potency is approximately one tenth that of the
equivalent weight of dexamphetamine.
•  Compared with other substances currently controlled under the
Misuse of Drugs Act  1975, the pharmacological, psychoactive and
toxicological profile of BZP indicates that the risk associated with BZP
use is lower than that of methamphetamine, and broadly similar to
that of ephedrine.
•  There are perceived beneficial effects (e.g. wakefulness and
increased sociability).
•  Adverse effects are common, in particular insomnia, headaches,
flushes, nausea and vomiting, and some of these may be a result of
piperazines other than BZP e.g. TFMPP. Seizures have been
reported.
•  Studies show a relatively slow onset of effect, which can lead users to
take repeat or high doses to gain a more rapid effect.  BZP is
excreted relatively slowly, which produces a prolonged duration of
effect that possibly contributes to the pronounced “come down” effect.
•  The effects of chronic use are unknown.
•  A controlled trial demonstrated frequent and severe adverse effects
from BZP and TFMPP.
•  There is potential for severe toxicity in some individuals, which has
been reported after relatively low doses.
•  BZP is often taken with alcohol and other drugs, making toxicological
effects difficult to predict.

c.
The risks, if any, to public health

•  Although there are no formal reports, there is potential for harm to
others e.g. the effects of rebound fatigue or acute intoxication on
driving performance or operation of machinery
•  There is concern that BZP use has been ‘normalised’, potentially
creating or contributing to an increased risk of a culture of drug use
that may encourage individuals to participate in other substance use.
•  Potential benefits of having BZP legally available may be that some
users who would otherwise use more harmful drugs especial y
methamphetamine are using BZP as a legal (and safer) alternative.
•  As with alcohol and other psychoactive drugs, there is the potential to
affect neurodevelopment in adolescents.
•  There is a suggestion of links with New Zealand’s culture of risky
alcohol consumption
•  Evidence shows very low levels of intravenous BZP use presently,
hence there is a low risk of blood-borne communicable diseases

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associated with its use.  The availability of raw BZP powder and the
potential to extract BZP powder from capsules creates a potential risk
of increased intravenous use.
•  There is a public perception that the legal status implies that BZP has
been through a robust regulatory process and is thus considered
‘safe’, even though the products are not subject to any form of safety
or quality review before they enter the market.
•  There is no evidence of aggressive behaviour, sexual assault or date
rape type behaviours.
•  There have been no recorded deaths solely as a result of BZP use.
Use of BZP is associated with a high rate of adverse effects: severe
adverse effects occur unpredictably and have been reported at
relatively low doses.
•  Adverse effects associated with BZP use may also discourage users
from taking BZP in the future.

d.
The therapeutic value of the drug, if any

•  No evidence in any robust scientific studies to date has shown that
BZP has any therapeutic use in humans.
•  At least one product containing BZP is actively marketed in
pharmacies as an aid to weight loss.  Some anecdotal evidence of
contribution to weight loss, which would fit with its status as a
stimulant.

e.
The potential for use of the drug to cause death

•  No evidence to date of any deaths in New Zealand or internationally
caused solely by BZP consumption.
•  However, toxic effects, especially BZP-related seizures that have
been described even at relatively low doses, have the potential to
lead to death.
•  The potential to cause death is increased from the way in which BZP
is frequently used with other substances (e.g. alcohol) and in high
doses.

f.
The  ability of the drug to create physical or psychological
dependence

•  Some evidence suggests that BZP has the ability to create
dependence.

g.
The international classification and experience of the drug in other
jurisdictions

•  BZP is not classified in any international drugs treaties.
•  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime International Narcotics
Control Board has previously written to New Zealand requesting
information on our experience with BZP and intentions regarding
possible controls.
•  Australia and the USA have made BZP il icit, although on the basis of
little or no experience with the drug.

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•  There is a growing international perception of New Zealand being a
primary BZP supplier, which has the potential to impact on New
Zealand’s international reputation.

h.
Any other matters for consideration that the Minister may consider
relevant

•  A key concern is the widespread availability of BZP with few
restrictions on how BZP can be sold and by whom.
•  Most party pil s also include TFMPP, which may be responsible  for
some of the adverse effects. Other piperazines, about which there is
no safety information, are now being included in some party pil s.
•  A possible mechanism for reducing demand and funding regulatory
and enforcement activities could be subjecting party pills to taxation
other than GST e.g. an excise tax.
•  Should BZP be made il egal, this may discourage people who
continue to use it from seeking medical attention if they experience
adverse effects.
•  A key policy issue that needs an explicit decision is whether New
Zealand wishes to have a legal market for psychoactive drugs.

The studies carried out to date have documented real harm and there is
stil  no information about the possible long-term consequences of BZP
use.  In addition, and importantly, BZP has no proven therapeutic use in
humans.  The Committee was particularly concerned about the current
wide availability and supply of BZP in locations that children and young
people can easily access.

It was agreed that based on the evidence now available, there is enough
information to report that BZP poses at least a moderate risk of harm and
to justify recommending its scheduling under the Misuse of Drugs Act
1975.

The Commit ee noted that there are potential advantages in retaining BZP
as a restricted substance, as the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act 2005
has provisions allowing a range of restrictions to be put in place.  Likewise,
there is no guarantee that scheduling a substance as a controlled
substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 reduces the availability or
potential risk of harm from a drug.

In theory, a regime could be put in place to control, inter alia, the
availability, advertising and supply of BZP, which would address some of
the concerns about its current availability and use. However, in practice
this wil  require the establishment of a significant administrative and
enforcement capacity, for example as there is for pharmaceuticals and for
the legal drugs tobacco and alcohol.

Members discussed the need to rate BZP in comparison to other drugs to
help assess what would be an appropriate classification for BZP. BZP
was considered to rate lower than methamphetamine (Schedule 1, Part 1),
has a similar harm profile to methylphenidate or Ritalin (Schedule 2, Part
2) and MDMA (Schedule 2, Part 2), and has a similar side effect profile to

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pseudoephedrine and ephedrine (Schedule 4, Part 1) although BZP has
no therapeutic effect.

Concerns were raised that classifying BZP as an il egal drug may drive the
BZP market ‘underground’, removing the current labelling requirement and
therefore increasing the potential risks associated with BZP use.  While
scheduling BZP as a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act
1975 is no guarantee that the availability and use of BZP wil  decrease,
recent experience with GHB (Fantasy) suggests it can be effective.  In
addition, the widely-described negative effects of BZP use (such as
insomnia, headaches and nausea) suggests that this is not likely to be a
drug that people wil  actively seek if it is less available, more expensive
and carries risks associated with il icit status.

The Committee reached a consensus on recommending that BZP be
scheduled as a Class C substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.
Key reasons behind this recommendation include:

•
the potential for individual toxicity that has been reported in some
individuals after relatively low doses and the risk potential of BZP
to cause seizures.
•
the potential for use to cause harm to public health, such
examples being the operation of machinery or a vehicle either
whilst under the influence, or whilst impaired from rebound fatigue
following use.
•
the recreational context of BZP use and lack of therapeutic
purposes.

Noted:

The wording in the legislation should cover benzylpiperazine and
derivatives and phenylpiperazine derivatives and related substances
of concern, whilst excluding certain piperazine derivatives used in
medicines such as Sildenafil citrate (Viagra) and cyclizine.

Agreed recommendations to the Minister:

1.
that BZP be classified under Schedule 3 Part 1 (Class C1) of
the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975
2.
that the classification as a Class C1 drug covers all known
analogues and derivatives of benzylpiperazine and
phenylpiperazine that have no known therapeutic use
3.
that BZP be removed from Schedule 4 of the Misuse of Drugs
Amendment Act 2005 in order that it no longer be a restricted
substance
4.
that work continue to further develop the regulatory
framework and enforcement capacity that would support the
Restricted Substances provisions of the Misuse of Drugs
Amendment Act 2005.

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7.     PARTY PILLS SUBMISSION BY JACQUI DEAN MP

The party pil  submission by Jacqui Dean was discussed under agenda
item 6.

9.  UK CRITERIA ON DRUG SCHEDULLING

In response to an EACD request, the Secretariat has prepared a paper
summarising the process for classifying drugs in New Zealand, Australia
and the United Kingdom.  The paper is intended to inform a discussion
about a more systematic approach and more detailed criteria in
determining the most appropriate classification for a substance.

The Committee agreed there are limitations with the current process of
drug classification and that the EACD should consider ways to improve the
process. It was suggested that it would be useful to consider the
Australian Risk Management standards for determining the implications of
classification.

Noted:

The paper should be revised to clarify the jurisdiction of Australian
states in relation to their reference to National Schedules.

Agreed:

That the Secretariat revise this paper for consideration at the next
EACD meeting to include information on the Australian Risk
Management standards. The UK publication “Drug classification:
making a hash of it?” would also be made available to EACD
members.

10.  ZOPICLONE

The Secretariat presented a revised paper that provided the EACD with
further information, including international research, on zopiclone.
  The Committee noted that the World Health Organization’s Expert
Committee on Drug Dependence determined that zopiclone has a low
abuse potential and therefore that it did not warrant international control.
Members commented that the abuse liability of zopiclone was not as high
as benzodiazepines and, while anecdotal evidence suggests that
zopiclone may be subject to abuse, its use in New Zealand is not
commonly diverted outside of therapeutic purposes.

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Agreed:
  The Committee agreed to maintain a watching brief regarding any
updates on the classification of zopiclone by the World Health
Organization.  It was agreed that no further actions would be taken to
recommend the classification of zopiclone under the Misuse of
Drugs Act 1975 in New Zealand at this stage.
  The Chair is to inform the Minister and the Secretariat is to write to
manufacturers and inform them that no further action wil  be taken.

11.  LEGAL STATUS OF 2C-T-7

The Secretariat presented a paper summarising the advice obtained on
the legal status of 2C-T-7. Dr Keith Bedford noted that while the advice
indicates that 2C-T-7 could be considered a controlled drug analogue
based on scientific evidence that it is substantially similar to another
controlled drug, he doubted whether such an argument would be legally
rigorous and he stil  considers the legal status of 2C-T-7 ambiguous.
  The Committee agreed that it is difficult to schedule 2C-T-7 in the Misuse
of Drugs Act 1975  with the current available evidence.  The Commit ee
recommended that amending the definition of amphetamine analogues in
Part 7 of Schedule 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 to include alkythio
radicals would be the most appropriate action.
  Agreed:
  That the Committee recommend to the Minister that the definition of
amphetamine analogues in Schedule 3, Part 7 of the Misuse of Drugs
Act  1975  be amended to include “and/or alkylthio radicals” after
“alkylamino radicals”.
  The recommended amendment would be brought to the attention of
the Minister for his direction on appropriate legislative action.

12.    GENERAL BUSINESS

One member noted the importance of discussing the finding from the UK
Parliamentary Committee report titled “Drug Classification: making a hash
of it?” that there is no conclusive evidence to support the gateway theory.
It was agreed that evidence in support of the gateway theory is weak and
it would be useful to provide the EACD with the available evidence given
strong political interest in the gateway theory.

Agreed:

The Secretariat is to provide the EACD with a paper summarising
evidence on the gateway theory, drawing in particular on work
conducted in the UK.

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13.  NEXT MEETING

The Commit ee confirmed that meeting from 8.30am to 1.30pm was an
appropriate timeframe and that it was useful for the Secretariat to provide
bound copies to members of the papers to be considered.

Dr Geoffrey Robinson informed the Commit ee that his paper assessing
alcohol against the EACD criteria is almost complete.  The Commit ee
noted that the assessment matrix used by the equivalent UK Commit ee
has been used to assess the relative harms associated with different
drugs, including alcohol and tobacco, about which there is a lot of
evidence on the harms. The Chair noted that a paper on the UK work is
being readied for publication.  The Committee felt that it would be useful to
see a copy of Dr Robinson's paper to consider as part of the discussion at
the next meeting on ways to further improve the assessment of harm of
different substances.

Agreed:

That Dr Robinson would provide a copy of his paper assessing
alcohol against the EACD criteria for the information of EACD
members at the next meeting.

Action:

The  next  meeting  to  be  scheduled  for  early  April  2007
and arranged by the Secretariat, along with a full date schedule for
all three EACD meetings that are to be held in 2007.

The meeting closed at 1 pm.

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Document Outline