Okay, so a lot of the safety tips here are fairly obvious. Nevertheless, we’ve complied a little list of common do’s and dont’s.

• Party and energy pills are designed to be used by people aged 18 and over. Don’t take them if you are any younger.
• Don’t use if you are pregnant, or lactating.
• Do not consume with alcohol or other drugs.
• Don’t drive a vehicle or operate any machinery after consumption.
• Most good pill suppliers, either online or retail,  provide consumption amount recommendations for certain products. In particular, if you are under 60 kgs only take one pill. This recommendation is a pretty common one right across the board, please make sure you stick to it.
• Reputable pill manufacturers are now listing ingredients on their product packaging, along with any relevant  general consumer warnings. Make sure you adhere to these and check the ingredients for anything you might be allergic to, or may have an otherwise adverse reaction from.
• In the case of DMAA based pills, don’t take them if you are a professional sportsperson who could be subject to drug testing.
• As always, hydrate well during and after use.

Dimethylamylamine (DMAA), also known as Methylhexanamine, is an organic compound of the oil extracted from Pelargonium graveolens (scented geraniums).

In organic chemistry it is classed as an aliphatic amine, has a similar plant to compound ratio as many other common herbs and a safety profile similar to that of caffeine. Dimethylamylamine can be also found under several trademarked names (Forthan, Forthane, Floradrene, Geranamine).

Originally intended to be used as a nasal decongestant some 40 odd years ago, it was reintroduced into the market around 5 years ago as a replacement for Ephedrine in dietary supplements (Geranamine and Floradrene). However, with the recent banning of Benzylpiperazine (BZP) in Australia, NZ, US and the UK, among other countries, it has since been developed in New Zealand as an effective active ingredient in a variety of legal party pills.

Although not a banned substance in New Zealand, DMAA has been classed as a restricted substance under the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act. This effectively prohibits bulk powder purchases of DMAA and also places compliancy regulations on DMAA based products, including manufacture in a licensed GMP facility, child resistant packaging and warning statements. Further requirements also include that all ingredients are listed, together with batch numbers and expiry dates.

This makes it easier to identify the serious and legitimate  from the possibly dodgy and overall, we’re glad to see such regulations being put in place. It will ensure the continued increase of product standards and consumer safety considerations, especially as the consumer group and their use of party and energy pills continues to become more and more mainstream.

However, DMAA has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, with a number of athletes around the world having tested positive over the last 2 years and suffering the consequences. So if you happen to be a professional sportsperson, best not to use it.