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Update on 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP) party pills

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Abstract

N-benzylpiperazine (BZP) has become popular among recreational drug users as the major active ingredient of “party pills” due to its stimulant and euphoric properties. Before BZP legal restrictions, these pills were sold as a safe and legal alternative to classical amphetamines like ecstasy. New Zealand, given the size of its legal market prior to BZP control, is the country that most contributed to the knowledge about the patterns of use, motivations and positive and adverse effects resulting from its consumption, though the interest in BZP-party pills was observed all over the world. The use of these pills has been associated with hospitalizations for adverse events and continued availability over the Internet makes this intoxication a continued concern. This paper provides a review on the characteristics of BZP recreational use, specifically the target population, patterns and motivations of use, and evolution of legal status. Moreover, the in vivo and in vitro studies performed in order to understand its pharmacology, toxicology and kinetics are also discussed. Lastly, analytical methodologies for the identification of BZP in clinical and forensic settings are addressed.

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Acknowledgments

This work received financial support from “Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia” (FCT) through grant no. PEst-C/EQB/LA0006/2011.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Porto University, Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal

    Márcia Sá Monteiro, Maria de Lourdes Bastos, Paula Guedes de Pinho & Márcia Carvalho

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal

    Márcia Carvalho

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  1. Márcia Sá Monteiro
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  2. Maria de Lourdes Bastos
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  3. Paula Guedes de Pinho
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  4. Márcia Carvalho
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Correspondence to Márcia Sá Monteiro or Márcia Carvalho.

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Monteiro, M.S., Bastos, M.L., Guedes de Pinho, P. et al. Update on 1-benzylpiperazine (BZP) party pills. Arch Toxicol 87, 929–947 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-013-1057-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-013-1057-x

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