December 17, 2004: New Drugs Bill

Proposals for new anti-drugs measures were set out today as the Home Office published the new Drugs Bill. At the heart of new legislation are measures aimed at building on existing work to break the link between drug addiction and crime by getting more drug users into treatment at an early stage and taking tougher action against dealers. Proposals in the Bill include:

•  Giving police powers to test for class A drugs on arrest and require those who test positive to attend an assessment and follow-up appointment
• Making dealing near a school, or using children as couriers for drugs or drug-related money an aggravating factor in sentencing
• Introducing a new presumption that those caught with more drugs than reasonable for personal use intend to supply, which carries tougher penalties
• Tougher powers to deal with dealers who swallow their drugs or hide them in body cavities – the police would be able to order a drug or ultrasound and magistrates would be able to remand suspected swallowers in custody for up to eight days
• Dealing with the open selling of magic mushrooms by clarifying in law that fresh mushrooms, as well as prepared ones, are illegal
• A new drug intervention order to run alongside anti-social behaviour orders to address drug misuse by people committing anti-social acts.