National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, New Zealand Inc.

MEDIA RELEASE -- 12 September 2007

History shows BZP ban will only make any problems worse

Our widely-ignored cannabis laws and the failed experiment with alcohol prohibition show it will be impossible to ban BZP without causing even more harm.

"The law banning cannabis is routinely flouted and results in the criminalisation of tens of thousands of Kiwis every year," said Chris Fowlie, spokesperson for the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML NZ).

"Alcohol prohibition was quickly repealed due to the immense amount of harm it caused in addition to the harms from drinking. Even though alcohol and tobacco are the leading causes of drug deaths in New Zealand and around the world, we know it would be even worse if they were made illegal.

"Moonshine stills and illicit tobacco plantations would spring up all over the country. Poisonous additives would be used, and more addictive extracts sold on the streets. Police would waste a huge amount of resources trying to catch otherwise law-abiding Kiwis who enjoy a drink or smoke.

"What makes Jim Anderton - or the National Party - think this BZP ban will be any different?

"BZP is used by a huge number of mainstream Kiwis and the risks are lower than for alcohol or tobacco. No one has died from BZP use. Even the Government's advisors, the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs, said the risks were "moderate".

"Prohibition does not mean BZP will disappear, but will instead be placed in the hands of criminals. They will generate massive profits and won't care about age limits, purity, dosage, or getting people off more harmful drugs.

"Rather than banning everything under the sun, we need to recognise that all activities carry some sort of risk and the solution is to manage and reduce those risks while empowering people to make sensible informed decisions.

"The Government hasn't even tried to control the dosage, purity, point of sale, or where it is sold, and the existing regulations for an R18 age limit and advertising ban are almost never enforced.

"NORML believes we should heed the lessons from the failed attempts to prohibit alcohol and cannabis. Let's lead the world in developing sensible drug policy based on reducing overall drug-related harm.

"Keep BZP in Class D, implement and enforce more effective rules, and give regulation a change to work," said Mr Fowlie.

ENDS

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