For the second method, you'll need to create a db object. So do something like:

my $db = new Links: BSQL "$LINKS{admin_root_url}/defs/Links.def";
$tags->{Area} = $db->build_select_field ('Area', $tags->{Area});

(the happy face is a : followed by a D).

Just add these two lines before the load_template.

Cheers,

Alex