The government will place 6 new synthetic opioids under the
strictest level of control to help prevent drug related deaths in
the UK and ensure anyone caught supplying these substances faces
tougher penalties. This comes after 15 other synthetic
opioids (including 14 nitazenes) were controlled as Class A drugs
earlier this year.
Today the government has written to the Advisory Council on the
Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), responding to and accepting their advice
to control 6 acyl piperazine opioids and derivatives, including
2-methyl-AP-237, as Class A drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act
1971.
Placing these substances under the strictest control is a clear
message to anyone involved in production or supply of these drugs
that they will face the full force of the law – including up to
life in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. As Class A drugs,
possession will carry a maximum penalty of up to 7 years in
prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
To future-proof our laws and respond to new emerging threats the
government has also accepted the ACMD's advice to add a generic
definition for nitazenes. This will mean new nitazenes detected
in the UK will automatically be controlled as Class A drugs under
the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Crime and Policing Minister said:
We are highly alert to the threat posed by these drugs which is
why we are enhancing our surveillance and early warning. The
devastation we have seen in other countries from synthetic
opioids cannot be allowed to happen here in the UK.
This is another step in our response. Not only are we are sending
a clear message that the consequences for peddling these drugs
will be severe, but we are adapting our legislation to ensure we
are able to respond rapidly to any new emerging threat.
The 6 new synthetic opioids which will be made Class A drugs
under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 are:
- 2-methyl-AP-237
- AP-237
- para-methyl-AP-237
- AP-238
- azaprocin
- para-nitroazaprocin
The government has also accepted the ACMD's advice to control 15
novel benzodiazepines and related compounds as Class C drugs
under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. These are:
- gidazepam
- desalkylgidazepam
- methylclonazepam
- cloniprazepam
- difludiazepam
- thionordazepam
- clobromazolam
- 4'-chloro-deschloroalprazolam
- fluclotizolam
- deschloroclotizolam
- flubrotizolam
- fluetizolam
- bentazepam
- bretazenil
- rilmazafone
The government intends to introduce legislation to implement the
necessary amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Misuse
of Drugs Regulations 2001 and the Misuse of Drugs
(Designation)(England, Wales and Scotland) Order 2015 as soon as
possible, subject to Parliamentary approval.
The UK is enhancing its surveillance and early warning system,
which will improve the ability to track dangerous drugs that
reach our streets in real-time, including those listed here. This
includes state-of-the-art monitoring for the presence of
synthetic drugs by analysing wastewater or recording spikes in
overdoses in specific locations. These findings will be cascaded
down to law enforcement and public health agencies, at national
and local level, meaning rapid action can be taken in communities
where they are detected.
