Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It represents action in line with treaty commitments under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

Offences under the Act include:

It is often presented as little more than a list of prohibited drugs and of penalties linked to their possession and supply. In practice, however, the act establishes the Home Secretary as a key player in a drug licensing system. Therefore, for example, various opiates are available legally as prescription-only medicines, and cannabis (hemp) may be grown under licence for 'industrial purposes'. The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, created under the 1971 Act, are about licensing of production, possession and supply of substances classified under the act.

Misuse of Drugs Act 1975

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 is a New Zealand drug control law that classifies drugs into three classes, or schedules, based on their projected risk of serious harm of loss of life.

The Controlled Substances Classification system has been around for decades but only in 2006 was benzylpiperazine was classified that a substance first became scheduled for health reasons. Most of the commonly controlled substances, such as opium, cocaine and cannabis, were first classified in 1921 during the International Opium Conference.

During this conference, the United States were strongly advocating for the banning of these substances unless a scientific or medical use became apparent. New Zealand signed this treaty and it's 37th Parliament went on to incorporate this law into the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, without any public review. However, the United States did not sign the treaty.

Class A

First Schedule: Very high risk of harm and illegal:

Misuse of Drugs Act (Ireland)

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, the Misuse of Drugs Act 1984, Misuse of Drugs Act 2015 and the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 are the acts of the Oireachtas regulating drugs in Ireland. The acts define the penalties for unlawful production, possession and supply of drugs.

Regulations

The act provides for the Minister for Health to make regulations scheduling drugs according to their use perceived medical usability and their risk to the public. Additionally, these regulations outline the requirements for distribution and monitoring of the listed substances. The principal regulations are Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1988 (SI 328/1988) as amended by Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations 1993 (SI 342/1993), Misuse of Drugs (Amendment No. 1) Regulations 1999 (SI 273/1999), Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations 2006 (SI 53/2006), Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (SI 200/2007), Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) (No. 1) Regulations 2009 (SI 63/2009), Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2009 (SI 122/2009) and Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2010 (SI 200/2010).

Substance abuse

Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is a patterned use of a drug in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others, and is a form of substance-related disorder. Widely differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, medical and criminal justice contexts.

The exact cause of substance abuse is not clear, with theories including: a genetic disposition; learned from others - or a habit which if addiction develops, manifests as a chronic debilitating disease.

Drugs most often associated with this term include: alcohol, substituted amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines (particularly alprazolam, lorazepam, diazepam and clonazepam), cocaine, methaqualone, cannabis and opioids.

In some cases criminal or anti-social behavior occurs when the person is under the influence of a drug, and long term personality changes in individuals may occur as well. In addition to possible physical, social, and psychological harm, use of some drugs may also lead to criminal penalties, although these vary widely depending on the local jurisdiction.