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Concern over popularity of herbal 'party pills'

Shift workers and long-haul truck drivers have been reported as using the legal substances to stay awake.

The pills have also grown common at Bay of Plenty parties since they became available at the beginning of this year, according to retailers.

Birds Liquorsave duty manager Martin Jackson said in Tauranga that the pills had "taken off" and the store was selling hundreds every weekend to three main groups.

One was people 18 to 24 who were using them as an alternative to illegal drugs.

Another was older people who needed energy to stay out socialising. The third was truck drivers or shift workers.

Despite there being no official age limit on the sale of the pills, Mr Jackson said his store sold them only to people over 18.

Super Liquor Mount Maunganui manager Benjie Sullivan said he sold about three dozen packs a week.

About half were to truck drivers or shift workers, the others were to 18 to 24-year-old partygoers.

The pills are labelled as unhealthy for pregnant or lactating mothers, and for people with heart or liver conditions, high blood pressure or mental illnesses.

Logging contractors spokesman Graham Sheldrake said he was not aware of drivers taking the pills but would be concerned if they were.

"I would be devastated if my drivers were needing to pop pills to stay awake."

Logging truck drivers were regularly given random drug tests but this would probably not pick up so-called "party poppers".

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) urged employers to look out for signs of people on "herbal highs" while operating machinery or driving.

OSH national operations manager Mike Cosman classed the pills with alcohol, illegal drugs and prescription medicines as factors that could impair performance in safety situations.

Green Party MP Nandor Tanczos said international studies about piperazines – the pepper-derived main ingredient in many energy pills – showed no evidence they caused harm.

But the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs, which advises the Health Minister on drug classification issues, has urged Parliament to harden laws on party pills.

Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton said he agreed with adding a new category to the Misuse of Drugs Act, which could restrict sales to people 18 and over.