Claims made that Party Pills are as addictive as P and magnify the effect of methamphetamine.

Those are the shock early findings of university and Environmental Science and Research studies into the health effects of BZP, the active ingredient in most party pills.

Last Thursday,the New Zealand Government announced it would ban the pills within six months.

BZP will be classified as a Class 1 drug, the same as cannabis / marijuana. The NZ Associate Health Minister, Jim Anderton, said before these new revelations, "Once you are told by clinical experts that what is being sold virtually at the corner dairy or convenience store could kill people...if you don't take action,and a 14 year old or a 16 year year old or an 18 year old dies in hospital from BZP, what do you think the headlines will be about government inaction?"

And just last night, top New Zealand scientist Dr Paul Fitzmaurice told the NZ Sunday Times how BZP had frightenly similar qualities to the highly addictive methamphetamine drug P.

The leading Environmental Science and Research(ESR) neurotoxologist said a series of tests at the University of Auckland, ESR and Victoria University have produced alarming results.

The tests showed BZP party pills:

1/ Get users hooked through the same brainwave patterns as highly addictive drugs including speed(P) and cocaine.

2/ Enhance the euphoric effect of P.

3/ Carry an overdose risk.

Scientists conducted a series of tests on lab rats - administering controlled doses of BZP and studying the effect on the brain. These animal tests showed these drugs mimic other drugs that are known to be addictive.

The rats were also given dose of methamphetamine. The tests showed that if you were given methamphetamine after being on BZP for several hours, you'd end up with a much greater effect from the methamphetamine, the researcher claimed.

Scientists are followng up their preliminary animal tests by studying the effects on humans.

Dr Paul Fitzmaurice said another study had shown a severe risk of overdose." What our preliminary data says it is taking two or three hours for an average dose of 200 milligrams to reach its maximum concentation in the body," he said. "The more you take, the longer it takes to react. People who think they can take four or five tablets to get a much quicker response actually don't. It actualy takes longer for the drug to reach its maximum effect and once it does they find they've taken too many tablets.'' he said.