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wre

Registered: 05/06/09
Posts: 370
Loc: New Zealand
Last seen: 2 years, 9 months
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Ban new drugs unless proven safe - Law Commission - New Zealand
#14390973 - 05/02/11 08:16 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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http://www.3news.co.nz/Ban-new-drugs-unless-proven-safe---Law-Commission/tabid/419/articleID/209542/Default.aspx
New psychoactive drugs should be banned until proven safe, instead of the other way around, says the Law Commission in a report tabled in Parliament today.
Currently, new substances can be manufactured and sold without restriction until authorities have gathered sufficient evidence of risk.
New drugs are often very similar to banned substances, but because of their differing chemical structures, are not covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.
"At the time that statute was enacted, the illegal drugs of choice were things like cannabis, cocaine, opiates and psychedelics like LSD," says Law Commission President Grant Hammond.
"While the use of cannabis remains high, new drugs have appeared. In the 2000s party pills like Benzylpiperazine (BZP) and very harmful drugs like methamphetamine have joined cannabis at the forefront of New Zealand’s drug scene.
"In short, the drug landscape has changed."
New, legal drugs currently available include cannabis simulators 'Puff' and 'Kronic', which Campbell Live's Tristram Clayton tried out last year. BZP, which has effects similar to amphetamine, was briefly popular before being banned in 2008.
The Law Commission is proposing to flip the 1975 law on its head, instead putting the onus on manufacturers and importers to prove their product is safe, and get regulatory approval before putting their product on sale.
"This would effectively reverse what happens now in practice, where a substance can be manufactured, imported and sold until it is proven to be harmful," says Mr Hammond. "This is therefore a preventive regulatory regime."
If the product was deemed unacceptably risky, it would then be referred for classification as a prohibited substance.
And if a new product was instead given the green light, it would automatically be subject to similar restrictions currently placed on tobacco and alcohol, including age limits and marketing.
In addition, the Law Commission recommends a "mandatory cautioning scheme" for all "personal possession and use" offences, to free up court resources and stop thousands of people getting drug convictions.
"Quite large numbers of young New Zealanders receive criminal convictions – which might subsist for life – as a result of minor drug offences," says Mr Hammond.
"This is a disproportionate response to the harm those offences cause."
Instead, more funding should be channelled into treatment and education.
“There is clear evidence that treatment can be cost effective. Some studies estimate that for every $1 spent on addiction treatment, there is a $4 to $7 reduction in the cost associated with drug-related crimes.”
On the other hand, Mr Hammond says the law must keep heavy penalties for the manufacture and sale of prohibited substances.
Read the full law commission report Part 1 http://www.3news.co.nz/Portals/0/images/Part%201%20Report%20-%20Controlling%20and%20Regulating%20Drugs.pdf Part 2 http://www.3news.co.nz/Portals/0/images/Part%202%20-%20Report%20Controlling%20and%20Regulating%20Drugs.pdf
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argg
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Registered: 07/20/09
Posts: 4,848
Loc: Nigeria
Last seen: 12 years, 7 months
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Re: Ban new drugs unless proven safe - Law Commission - New Zealand [Re: wre]
#14391077 - 05/02/11 08:36 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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they really are pretty safe compared to prescription drugs. Lots of people die on opiates,benzos and booze while I think almost all if not all deaths from 4MMC,mdpv and the likes have been dis-proven or where so and so had a bag of the stuff in his pocket while driving off a cliff type deals. Its just a media blitz as 3-4 people die tonight alone within 20 miles of me from heroin alone.
mentally its not that good to have it fro sale to addicts so openly but if it was openly sold along with meth and such other drugs with proper education it could be avoided by non retards and taxed enough to make it harder to buy a whole gram of mdpv for 20 bucks at citgo.
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5-HT2A
Registered: 01/30/10 
Posts: 1,794
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Re: Ban new drugs unless proven safe - Law Commission - New Zealand [Re: argg]
#14391094 - 05/02/11 08:38 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
And if a new product was instead given the green light, it would automatically be subject to similar restrictions currently placed on tobacco and alcohol, including age limits and marketing.
If the only thing that need be proven is that a substance is safer than alc/tobacco, why bother changing the law at all?
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LightShedder
Trading currencies



Registered: 08/30/05
Posts: 3,026
Loc: AustinDenverLA
Last seen: 4 years, 7 months
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Re: Ban new drugs unless proven safe - Law Commission - New Zealand [Re: 5-HT2A]
#14391117 - 05/02/11 08:43 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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Haha right?
Only as safe as 2 of the most toxic inebriants known to mankind (don't get me for that, I know it's a slight exaggeration). Woohoo make any drug u want folks!
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argg
Stranger


Registered: 07/20/09
Posts: 4,848
Loc: Nigeria
Last seen: 12 years, 7 months
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Re: Ban new drugs unless proven safe - Law Commission - New Zealand [Re: LightShedder]
#14391176 - 05/02/11 08:50 PM (12 years, 8 months ago) |
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so everything goes except maybe bromodragonfly?
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