Public warned vs drug similar to Ecstacy

MANILA, Philippines - The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) warned the public yesterday against a new type of drug being peddled as an alternative to “Ecstacy.”

DDB chairman Vicente Sotto III said benzylpiperazine or BZP has found its way into the country and is being peddled in bars and party places.

The drug is popularly known as “Mimic Ecstacy” and other brand names like A2, Benny Bear, Benny, Frenzy and Nemesis.

In his last official act, Sotto signed a board resolution classifying BZP as a dangerous drug. Sotto tendered his resignation yesterday to run for the Senate in the 2010 elections.

Sotto said the BZP pill comes in different colors, and has imprints of a butterfly, a crown, a heart, a smiley or a bull’s head.

BZP is a recreational drug with euphoric and stimulant properties similar to that of Ecstacy.

The effects of the drug are comparable to that of amphetamine, and “continued, uncontrolled production, distribution, and abuse pose an imminent hazard to public safety.”

The DDB’s Board Regulation No. 5 defined BZP as a substance used as an intermediate or adulterant in the manufacture of dangerous drugs with no recognized therapeutic use in humans.

Sotto said BZP is imported from the United States and Europe, based on information gathered by law enforcement.

Sotto said the police recently seized some 1,000 BZP tablets but those caught were later released since the pill was not yet listed as a dangerous drug.

The Philippine National Police-Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (PNP-AIDSOTF) led by Senior Superintendent Francisco Uyami said BZP is being sold at P1,200 per pill.

Compared to the original Ecstacy tablet, the BZP is 10 percent less potent, which means it could only be used as an alternate.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) spokesman Derrick Arnold Carreon explained BZP’s classification as a dangerous drug makes it a highly regulated prescription drug.

Carreon said anyone caught in possession of the pill without justification would be in violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.