Novel Psychoactives in New Zealand

Abstract

In recent years, New Zealand has taken a unique approach to dealing with novel psychoactives with the introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2013. In this chapter we review the main psychoactives available in NZ, including legal and illegal party pills, cathinones, kava, and NBOMe compounds, and examine their toxicological impact using data from forensic toxicology casework and exposures recorded by the NZ National Poisons Centre. Our data show benzylpiperazine has been the main toxicologically relevant new psychoactive in NZ, with most cases and exposures being recorded between 2004 and 2009. Since then, synthetic cannabinoids have had a large presence in NZ, with exposures peaking in 2013–2014. Other novel psychoactives, such as cathinones and kava, have had minimal impact. The most recent psychoactives to emerge in NZ are the NBOMe hallucinogens. Some of the psychoactives that are popular in Europe have not yet been encountered in forensic toxicology casework in NZ.