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Doctors warn of dangers of 'herbal high' pills

Christchurch Hospital's emergency department is seeing at least six patients a weekend suffering from severe paranoia and dehydration after taking the apparently safe herbal drugs.

Emergency medicine specialist Dr Martin Than said yesterday that party-goers were arriving at the hospital hysterical and requiring sedation.

The herbal pills are legal and have a mild hallucinogenic-amphetamine effect, similar to that of illegal drugs such as P, speed and ecstasy.

All are sold over the counter and are advertised as a safe, legal alternative to illegal highs.

"One girl that we had in here today said she was just handed a plastic bag with the pills in it – no warnings, no labels, nothing," Dr Than said.

The active drug in the pills, commonly known as herbal ecstasy or herbal speed, is benzylpiperazine.

It typically causes euphoria but can result in agitation, vomiting, abdominal pain, seizures and abnormal heart rhythms.

In rare cases, users may suffer from serotonin syndrome, which can cause death.

Dr Than said the public needed to be educated on the dangers of herbal highs.

"There is a public perception that these are a safe and harmless way to have fun, but it's important for the public to know that the side-effects can be very serious," he said.

Christchurch Hospital staff said those affected were usually young women in their late teens or early 20s.

"The classic case is a teenage girl coming in here at one or two o'clock in the morning, hysterical and screaming. . . I guess they think it's safe and they'll be fine, but the reality is they are still taking a very strong drug," one doctor said.

Most patients said they took only one or two tablets and were stunned at the effect the herbal pills had had on them.

Politicians and drug educators last week moved to have herbal highs classified under a proposed new drug category. That could mean possible age restrictions on sales and better warning labels on packets.

Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell said last night that the pills lured users into a false sense of security, and his organisation supported the establishment of a fourth drug classification.

Under proposed changes put to Parliament last week, a fourth drug category would be added to the present A, B and C classifications. The D category would encompass herbal pills.

"The Drug Expert Advisory Committee have decided there is no evidence that herbal drugs should be classed in the A, B or C categories but they have recommended a fourth class to put these herbal highs into. . .This would provide an opportunity to put controls around labelling and age limits on sale," Mr Bell said.