13 April 2006
Party Pills Toxicity Unknown
Concern expressed by an emergency department doctor from Waikato Hospital about the toxic dangers of party pills
reinforces New Zealand First’s view that party pills are unsafe and their regulation should be re-assessed says health
spokesperson Barbara Stewart.
“The report says that pill users do not always read instructions, take more pills than recommended and mix them with
alcohol.
“Emergency departments are seeing patients with side-effects such as anxiety, panic attacks, racing heart-rates,
hallucinations, headache and vomiting and in extreme cases seizures and hallucinations from pills which are presumed
safe because they are legal, said Mrs Stewart.
“The reality is that no reputable research has been carried out into their safety and the long-term effects, especially
when mixed with alcohol, are unknown.
“This is effectively drug testing on a large scale and the consequences could be disastrous,” said Mrs Stewart.
ENDS