New Zealand Drug FoundationMonday 16 July 2012, 2:00PM
Media release from New Zealand Drug Foundation
New regulations for synthetic drugs announced today will help
move New Zealand's obsolete drug law into the 21st century the New
Zealand Drug Foundation said.
"Unknown and untested new synthetic substances have been hitting
the shelves for a decade in New Zealand. Consumers have simply
never known whether these drugs are safe or not.
"It makes sense that the industry should have to jump through
hoops to prove its products are safe before they go on sale," said
New Zealand Drug Foundation Executive Director Ross Bell.
Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne announced that approval
for party pills will be similar to that of other medicines.
"The new regulations, which place the burden on the industry to
prove its products are low risk, are long overdue and are very
welcome. The status quo has been an absolute joke," said Ross
Bell.
"We have seen time and time again that when one substance gets
banned another similar substance or substances pops up in its
place.
"Mr Dunne has helped slay the party pill hydra."
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
(EMCDDA) found that one new synthetic drug was coming to market
every week in Europe.
Mr Bell said that shifting the onus and cost of proof onto the
synthetic drug industry meant the process would be slowed down and
the government no longer left to play catch up.
The announcement comes out of a review of the Misuse of Drugs Act
by the Law Commission. The Drug Foundation looks forward to the
Government progressing other key parts of that review.