Recreational sale BZP is often marketed ostensibly as a "dietary supplement" to avoid meeting stricter laws that apply to medicines and drugs, despite the fact that BZP has no dietary value. As of late 2005, the Misuse of Drugs Act ensured it can no longer be classified or marketed as a
dietary supplement in New Zealand. Some retailers claim that BZP is a "natural" product, describing it as a "pepper extract" or "herbal high," when in fact the drug is entirely
synthetic,
Legal status BZP is banned in
Australia,
Austria,
Canada,
Denmark,
Estonia,
France,
Germany,
Greece,
Ireland,
Italy,
Japan,
Malta,
Poland,
Sweden and the
United States. BZP is not controlled under any UN convention, so the compounds themselves are legal throughout most of the world, although in most countries their use is restricted to pharmaceutical manufacturing and recreational use is unknown. when BZP and piperazine analogs become illegal in the federal schedules, which are enacted by all Australian states and territories.
Canada In Canada, Benzylpiperazine and salts of benzylpiperazine are classified as Schedule III controlled substances under the
Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
European Union Benzylpiperazine was the subject of a
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) risk assessment to determine to determine how to control it throughout the
European Union. The
risk assessment came about as the result of a joint
Europol – EMCDDA report which concluded that BZP needs to be looked at in more detail. The report was published in June 2007, and concluded that the use of BZP can lead to medical problems even if the long effects are still unknown. Taking this concession as a basis, the
European Commission asked the
Council to place BZP under control of the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. On 4 March 2008, the EU requested countries to place BZP under control within a year.
Finland Scheduled in "government decree on narcotic substances, preparations and plants" and is hence illegal.
New Zealand Based on the recommendation of the EACD, the New Zealand government passed legislation which placed BZP, along with other piperazine derivatives (TFMPP, mCPP, pFPP, MeOPP, and MBZP), into Class C of the
Misuse of Drugs Act 1975. A ban was intended to come into effect in New Zealand on 18 December 2007, but the law change did not go through until the following year, and the sale of BZP and the other listed piperazines became illegal in New Zealand as of 1 April 2008. An amnesty for possession and usage of these drugs was in effect until October 2008, at which point they became completely illegal.
United Kingdom Piperazine and salts of
piperazine are classified as
Prescription Only Medicines in the UK. Any products containing salts of
piperazine would be licensable under the
Medicines Act and consequently anyone manufacturing and supplying it legally must hold the relevant licenses to do so. BZP is not a salt of
piperazine, but mislabelling of BZP products as containing "piperazine blend" resulted in some prosecutions of suppliers in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, although none were successful. In May 2009, the
Home Office announced plans to ban BZP, and launched a consultation on the proposal. In October 2009, it was announced that from 23 December 2009, BZP and related piperazines would be
Class C drugs under the
Misuse of Drugs Act.
United States The drug was federally classified as a
Schedule I controlled substance in the United States in 2002, when in fact BZP is ten times
less potent than dexamphetamine. It is also illegal at the state level in Florida, Oklahoma, Vermont, and Virginia. ==See also==