To prohibit or regulate psychoactive substances: has New Zealand got the right approach?

Abstract

Prohibition of a continuous stream of new psychoactive substances is both difficult and costly Shakila Rizwan and Andrea Vernall look at New Zealand’s attempt to regulate instead

5F-Cumyl-PINACA in ‘e-liquids’ for electronic cigarettes: comprehensive characterization of a new type of synthetic cannabinoid in a trendy product including investigations on the in vitro and in vivo phase I metabolism of 5F-Cumyl-PINACA and its non-fluorinated analog Cumyl-PINACA

“…The 5F-Cumyl-PINACA was among these compounds and sold as SGT-25 [ 16 ]. Since the amendment of the act in May 2014, no new psychoactive substance was approved for sale [ 17 ].…”

Understanding the UK Psychoactive Substances Act

“…This Act made it illegal to sell a psychoactive substance that may be used for human consumption and most of the head shops closed within months of the Act coming into force. The NZ Psychoactive Substances Act 2013 took a different approach and set up a legal framework for the testing, manufacture, sale and regulation of psychoactive products. Selected NPS were intended to be sold through licensed outlets after undergoing rigorous clinical testing to ensure they were safe for human consumption before sale was permitted.…”

New psychoactive substances detected at the New Zealand border, 2014–2018

“…Since the 2000s, there has been a similar increase in the rate of identification of NPS on the New Zealand market, with the emergence of the unregulated legal “party pills.” The active components of the pills were piperazines, mainly benzylpiperazine (BZP) and trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (TFMPP). As the use of these pills became popular, concerns were raised about their potential detrimental effect to the health of the user . In 2008, the New Zealand government, on the advice of the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs, classified BZP, TFMPP, and other piperazines under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 .…”

“…As the use of these pills became popular, concerns were raised about their potential detrimental effect to the health of the user. 6 In 2008, the New Zealand government, on the advice of the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs, classified BZP, TFMPP, and other piperazines under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. 7 This pattern continued, with many emerging new substances eventually being incorporated into drugs legislation, either through specific listing, controlled drug analog (CDA) provisions, or Temporary Class Drug Notices (TCDNs).…”