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UK: Drugs Bill Receives Royal Assent

Press Release

Home Office

Thursday 07 Apr 2005

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Time: 22:00

DRUGS BILL RECEIVES ROYAL ASSENT

The Drugs Bill received Royal Assent today. The Drugs Act 2005 brings in
powers to:

* give the police powers to test for class A drugs on arrest and require
those who test positive to attend a drugs assessment and follow-up appointment;

* make dealing near a school, or using children as couriers for drugs or
drugs-related money, an aggravating factor in sentencing;

* introduce a new presumption that those caught with more drugs than
reasonable for personal use intend to supply, which carries tougher penalties;

* give the police tougher powers to tackle dealers who swallow their drugs
or hide them in body cavities - the police will be able to order an x-ray
or ultrasound, and magistrates will be able to remand suspected swallowers
in custody for up to eight days;

* tackle the open selling of 'magic mushrooms' by clarifying the law that
fresh mushrooms, as well as prepared ones, are illegal; and

* establish a new drug intervention order to run alongside anti-social
behaviour orders to address drug misuse by people committing anti-social acts.

Notes to editors:

1. The Act will be published on the internet at
www.hmso.gov.uk/acts

2. The Drugs Bill was published on 17 December 2004 (Home Office press
notice 393/2004).

3. The Home Office published a policy paper on drugs, 'Tackling Drugs -
Changing Lives: Keeping Communities Safe from Drugs' on November 2004 (Home
Office press notice 370/2004).

 

 

 

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