Crackdown on drug suppliers
Police look set to get stronger powers of search and seizure to crackdown on synthetic drugs under new legislation, and dealers could face life in prison.
Yesterday, the Government introduced the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill – a move that targets suppliers of synthetic drugs and shifts two key synthetics – 5F-ADB and AMBFUBINACA – into the class A drug category and creates a temporary category, C1, allowing new drugs to be easily brought in under the act.
The first reading of the bill is set for next week.
The changes will give the police greater powers to interrupt supply and give the courts serious sentencing options – up to life imprisonment.
At the same time police can still use discretion to consider whether a health-centred or therapeutic approach would be more beneficial when deciding whether to prosecute for possession and use of all drugs, including methamphetamine, heroin and cannabis. The legislation is backed by funding of
$16.6 million to boost community addiction treatment services.
Although the move has been applauded by the Opposition, National MP Simeon Brown will still push ahead with his member’s bill. ‘‘The issue is these drug peddlers will be mixing some new chemicals overnight and the next deadly drug will only be just around the corner. So, the question is how quickly will the new
C1 allow the Government to classify any new chemical compounds.’’ Brown’s bill aimed to bring in similar changes and to increase the penalty for selling or supplying psychoactive substances, with a blanket
14-year maximum sentence, without any bureaucratic process.
Brown said the third reading of his bill was postponed this week. ‘‘It looks like my move has forced their hand and they had to bring something to Parliament, which is good but my bill will be brought back for debate and I will be asking the Government to support it as a complementary measure.’’
Yesterday, Health Minister David Clark said Brown’s bill was not the reason for pushing up the penalties for synthetic drugs.
‘‘We want to get people off drugs and we acknowledge the way to do that is through the health system and not the criminal justice system … we make no apologies as part of a health-based approach for going after suppliers.’’
The current approach had failed and since June 2017, as many as 50-55 deaths had been provisionally linked to the use of
5F-ADB and AMB-FUBINACA. ‘‘Interrupting supply is a key part of a health response. We also want people caught up in the web of addiction to get the support they need to get off drugs.
‘‘We don’t want to ruin lives by putting people in jail at a cost to taxpayers of $110,000 a year when we can help them to get the treatment they need.’’
Police Minister Stuart Nash said police were developing comprehensive training for officers to enable them to successfully implement the changes and were drawing up guidance for healthbased referrals.