UK Goes Feral on Legal Highs

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A range of former so called ‘legal highs’ including GBL, BZP and man-made chemicals sprayed on herbal smoking products such as ‘Spice’ are now illegal, Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced today.
As part of the government’s commitment to tackle the emerging threat of so called ‘legal highs’, the substances now banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 include:

– Chemical solvent GBL (Gamma-Butyrolactone) and a similar chemical – which are converted into GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) in the body and often used as ‘club drugs’ – are now controlled as Class C drugs when intended for human consumption;

– Synthetic cannabinoids – man-made chemicals sprayed on herbal smoking products such as ‘Spice’, which act on the body in a similar way to cannabis but can be far more potent, are now controlled as Class B drugs alongside cannabis; and

– BZP (Benzylpiperazine) and related piperazines, which are stimulants, similar to amphetamine, are now controlled as Class C drugs.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:

“We are cracking down on so called ‘legal highs’ which are an emerging threat, particularly to young people. That is why we are making a range of these substances illegal from today with ground- breaking legislation which will also ban their related compounds.

“We are sending out a clear message to anyone who is thinking about experimenting with them, particularly over the festive period, that not only are they putting themselves in danger they will also be breaking the law.”

Tim Hollis, Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) lead on drugs, said:

“Police are all too well aware of the harms caused in local communities, particularly to young people, by these drugs and we support the decision taken by the Home Office to clearly spell this out.

“Enforcement will be proportionate and will focus particular attention on those who traffic in drugs and put people at harm. Practical advice has already been circulated to forces to support them in this respect. We want people to enjoy the festive season without exposing themselves to unnecessary risk by taking what are potentially dangerous substances.”

The government continues to raise awareness of the dangers of psychoactive substances via the FRANK campaign.

In addition, 15 anabolic steroids, testosterone-like products often used by sports people and increasingly being used by the general public for their growth promoting properties, are to be controlled as Class C drugs, alongside two growth promoters.

The control of these substances follows advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). Following receipt of their advice and after consulting with industry on those substances which have legitimate use, the government announced its intention to bring these substances under control using the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The ACMD continue to look at the use of so called ‘legal highs’ as a priority and will report back to the government on the cathinones in 2010.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL) and its like chemical 1,4-Butanediol (1,4-BD) are converted into GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) in the body. GBL is a colourless, oily liquid with a weak odour. Both substances can reduce inhibitions, cause nausea, reduced heart rate and even lead to death. Both are particularly dangerous when taken with alcohol and other depressant substances. Options for control of these substances were subject to public consultation which finished on 13 August. The government’s decision to control GBL and 1,4-BD for human consumption takes fully into account the wide use of these chemicals for legitimate purposes.The ACMD’s advice can be found at http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs-laws/acmd/

2. Benzylpiperazine (BZP) and related piperazines are man-made stimulants which have similar but less potent properties to amphetamine. They can cause a rush of energy, agitation, vomiting and headaches. They can come in many shapes and forms, including pills and powders. Control of these substances was subject to public consultation which finished on 13 August. The ACMD’s advice can be found at http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs-laws/acmd/

3. Synthetic cannabinoids are man-made chemicals that mimic the psychoactive effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis. They can be sprayed on herbal smoking products such as ‘Spice’. The ACMD advice, published on 12 August, can be found at http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs-laws/acmd/

4. Anabolic Steroids – details of the 15 steroids and two growth promoters and ACMD’s advice are available at http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs-laws/acmd/

5. Oripavine, an alkaloid found in poppy straw of the opium poppy which can be converted into thebaine and used in the production of semi-synthetic opiates, is also controlled under the 1971 Act as a Class C drug in accordance with our international obligations. There is presently no evidence of its misuse in the UK. The ACMD advice can be found at http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs-laws/acmd/

6. So called ‘legal highs’ are psychoactive substances that are taken to achieve an altered state of mind (a “high”), that are not currently controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. However, most of these substances are illegal to sell, supply or advertise for human consumption under medicines legislation because of their effects on the body. To view the March 2009 commissioning letter from the then Home Secretary to the ACMD on so called “legal highs” and other areas see http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs-laws/acmd/reports-research/

7. A drug is brought under control of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 by an Order made by the Privy Council following approval of the Order by both Houses of Parliament via the affirmative resolution procedure. Summaries of the public consultations completed earlier this year in relation to some of these drugs are available at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/haveyoursay/closed-consultations/2008-cons-closed1/?version=15

8. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is a non-departmental public body established by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The ACMD provides independent expert advice to ministers on drug misuse – primarily to the Home Office, but also to other government departments. To view the ACMD’s advice to government visit http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs-laws/acmd/reports-research/

9. For details of the government’s drug strategy visit http://www.drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk

10. For further information please contact the Home Office Press Office on 020 7035 3535

Contacts
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ABC (is this suggesting Class D for Alcohol?)

New findings suggest current system of classifying psychoactive drugs in UK may need to be revisited

25. November 2009

Drug users are well informed about the harms associated with the drugs they use, and perceive alcohol and tobacco to be amongst the most dangerous substances, according to a survey by UCL (University College London) and Imperial College London researchers. The findings, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, suggest that the current system of classifying psychoactive drugs in the UK may need to be revisited.

The study, led by Dr Celia Morgan and Professor Valerie Curran at UCL, surveyed 1,500 UK drug users via the website http://www.nationaldrugsurvey.org/. Drug users were asked to rate twenty psychoactive substances on a ‘rational’ scale previously developed by Professor David Nutt, Imperial College London, who collaborated on this study.  Heroin, crack and cocaine topped the list in terms of harm, but alcohol was rated fifth, solvents seventh and tobacco ninth. Ecstasy came 13^th in the harm rating, LSD 16^th and cannabis 18^th. Thus, the survey found no relationship between the drug’s legal status, based on the current classification system, and users’ ratings of harm. In the UK, the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) currently classifies psychoactive drugs as A, B or C, though alcohol and tobacco remain unclassified.
Dr Celia Morgan, UCL Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, says: “Given that the Misuse of Drugs Act aims to signal to young people the harmfulness of drugs, this suggests a flaw with the current classification of drugs. We found that drug users rated legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco as more harmful than Class A substances like LSD and ecstasy. We found a high correlation between harm ratings by users and those made previously by scientific experts across all substances, suggesting users are well informed about the harms of drugs.
“The reported prevalence of use of each substance also suggests that the classification of drugs has little bearing on the choice of whether to use substances or not. For example ecstasy, a Class A substance, was the fourth most regularly used psychoactive drug, according to our survey.
“We also asked drug users about their perceived benefits of taking psychoactive substances, as this is clearly important in a person’s decision of whether to take a drug or not. Psychoactive substances LSD, cannabis and ecstasy were consistently rated as having the highest short and long-term benefits. These findings add to the debate on the validity of the current classification of drugs in the UK.
“Worldwide, there are an estimated two billion alcohol users, 1.3 billion smokers and 185 million users of other drugs. Despite public health campaigns, levels of substance misuse continue to rise. One of the reasons for this may be the public’s confusion about the actual risks of different drugs as they often receive conflicting messages from the legal system, the media and health campaigns. We recommend that future health campaigns consider whether to include the benefits of some drugs. By only citing harms, such campaigns likely represent – from a user’s perspective – an unbalanced view and may mean that the overall message is more likely to be ignored.”
The authors are following up the study with the launch of a new larger survey, in collaboration with the Beckley Foundation, hosted at http://www.internationaldrugsurvey.org/.

The 20 substances surveyed in the 2009 study were alcohol, alkyl nitrates, amphetamines, anabolic steroids, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, buprenorphine, cannabis, cocaine, crack, ecstasy, GHB, heroin, LSD, ketamine, khat, 4-MTA, methylphenidate, solvents, street methadone and tobacco.
Participants were asked to rate them according to physical (acute or chronic) harm, psychological or physical dependence, intensity of pleasure, intoxication and social effects, including costs to the health service.
A similar survey of experts including psychiatrists and pharmacologists led by Professor Nutt in 2007 found that, of the same 20 psychoactive substances rated on a ‘rational’ scale, experts rated alcohol as the fifth most dangerous drug, whereas MDMA/ecstasy was rated 18th out of twenty, despite its Class A status. Overall, there was no relationship between a drug’s legal status and its rated harmfulness. The 2007 study was published in The Lancet.
Source: Journal of Psychopharmacology

—
Blair Anderson  ‹(•¿•)›

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Nutt on LSD

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Now Home Office drugs adviser wants to downgrade LSD from A to B

LSD, the powerful hallucinogenic drug made famous by The Beatles, should be downgraded from a Class A drug, according to the Government’s drugs adviser. (Actually, Professor Nutt made this known almost exacty a year ago post the Beyond2008 NGO consultations attended by yours truly, see NZ reference below /Blair

as reported in www.telegraph.co.uk

The news has emerged after the Professor David Nutt was ordered to apologise by the Home Secretary for saying that taking ecstasy was no worse than riding a horse.

Prof Nutt is chairman of the Government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which is set to recommend that ecstasy should be downgraded from A to B.

In a radio interview last year, months before he became chairman of the council, Prof Nutt disclosed that he also favoured downgrading LSD from A to B.

He said: “There are several drugs that are in class A and probably should not be there, like ecstasy and LSD. There are other drugs that should be up the scale.

“Ecstasy and LSD which tend to cause little dependence and relatively moderate degrees of personal damage are probably too highly classified.”

LSD is ranked as a class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The maximum penalty for supplying the drug is life imprisonment.

Prof Nutt, who took over as chairman of the council last November, went on to call for a major overhaul of the drugs classification rules in Britain.

He said: “I think it is time to have a complete review of all the drug laws. And I would like to have that in the UK.”

Prof Nutt said he was content that drugs like “heroin, crack, cocaine and metamphetamine pure” should remain as Class A drugs.

He told Radio New Zealand: “It is quite hard to move drugs out of classes. In the UK we have has these class system now since 1971.

“Only one drug has ever been moved down a class and a couple have moved up. Cannabis moved down and opiates moved up.”

Prof Nutt said that if alcohol emerged as a substance in modern Britain it would be classified as an illegal Class B drug.

He said: “If alcohol was suddenly to emerge in society now and it was suddenly assessed as other drugs of abuse it would be rated as a B class drug and therefore not be made legal.”

The Daily Telegraph disclosed last week how Prof Nutt had written in an academic journal that taking the drug was no more dangerous than an addiction to horse riding.

In the House of Commons on Monday, Jacqui Smith told MPs that his comments sent the wrong message to young people about the dangers of drugs.

She said: “I made clear to Prof Nutt that I felt his comments went beyond the scientific advice that I expect of him as the chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/4581743/Now-Home-Office-drugs-adviser-wants-to-downgrade-LSD-from-A-to-B.html as reported in http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ Related articles by Zemanta

• Child drug offenders double as advisors say Ecstasy should be downgraded (telegraph.co.uk)
• Home Office’s drugs adviser apologises for saying ecstasy is no more dangerous than riding a horse (telegraph.co.uk)
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• Call to downgrade ecstasy to class B (guardian.co.uk)
• Council advises ecstasy downgrade (news.bbc.co.uk)
• In praise of … the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (guardian.co.uk)
• Smith says no to downgrading ecstasy (guardian.co.uk)

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