Investigation of the First Deaths in the United Kingdom Involving the Detection and Quantitation of the Piperazines BZP and 3-TFMPP

Abstract

Abstract[Piperazines such as 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP), 1-(3-trifluromethylphenyl)piperazine (3-TFMPP), and 1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine (3-CPP) have become recent drugs of abuse. With stimulant effects comparable to amphetamines but with a lower potency and differential global scheduling status, they have been sold as a supposed legal alternative to "Ecstasy". A few non-fatal and fatal cases where BZP has been detected have been published and typically involve other drugs. However, toxicity involving BZP alone has also been reported. No case data currently exist for 3-TFMPP. The toxicological situation is complicated by the existence of positional isomers of TFMPP and CPP. This paper includes ultraviolet (UV) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry data for these isomers and indicates an advantage in using UV spectra to distinguish the structures. Consequently, the presence of BZP and 3-TFMPP has been confirmed in three fatalities (road traffic deaths and a fatal fall), with two cases involving both drugs. These are the first reported cases of 3-TFMPP in postmortem fluid. In all cases, other drugs and/or ethanol were found. BZP was found at concentrations of 0.71, < 0.50, and 1.39 mg/L and 3-TFMPP was found at concentrations of 0.05 and 0.15 mg/L in postmortem blood. Concentrations were also measured in urine. Although BZP and 3-TFMPP were not the direct cause of death, the toxicological findings presented in this paper may assist the interpretation of future cases involving these drugs where their significance may be more apparent.

Comprehensive Forensic Toxicological Analysis of Designer Drugs

“…It is not uncommon to see the combination of BZP with TFMPP, as was noted for Case 2. (2,138) The concentrations of the other compounds detected were comparable to those that were initially quantified by the submitting laboratory. Significantly, MDPV was found in Case 2 by the present method but had been missed in the initial GC-MS screens.…”

“…(6,25) Trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine, once banned by the DEA, and benzylpiperazine, often found in combination with each other, have also been cited in several cases. (2) While severe intoxications and even fatalities are not uncommon with abuse of these substances, they can be difficult to identify from a forensic analytical standpoint because of the large number of potential structures, the constant introduction of novel compounds, inadequate accessibility to standards, and the generally limited frequency of occurrences. (26) Most importantly, there is a lack of comprehensive analytical methods available for detection of these compounds, either as screening techniques or for quantification purposes.…”

“…In addition, these values were extremely high relative to some other reported cases and were probably contributing factors to the decedent's death. (2,6) It is important to note that the calibration curve for 5-MeO-DiPT and the daily QC samples were acceptable on the day that these samples were analyzed. It is not uncommon to see the combination of BZP with TFMPP, as was noted for Case 2.…”

Drogas emergentes (I): las «smart drugs»

“…En Inglaterra se detectaron varias muertes por su consumo 25 , lo que llevó a su ilegalización por la Unión Europea en marzo de 2008 26 , medida adoptada en España en julio de 2009 27 …”

Benzylpiperazine in New Zealand: brief history and current implications

“…There have, however, been several deaths in which BZP was a factor in conjunction with other illicit drugs (Balmelli et al 2001;Wikstrom et al 2004;Elliott & Smith 2008). Case reports have also noted BZP ingestion producing dissociative states (Wood et al 2008), psychosis (Austin & Monasterio 2004), precipitation of mania in schizophrenia (Mohandas & Vecchio 2008), and organ failure (Alansari & Hamilton 2006;Gee et al 2010).…”