GOVERNMENT MOVES TO RECLASSIFY DRUGS USED TO MAKE P

The Government moved to classify the drugs ephedrine and pseudoephedrine,
materials used in the manufacture of methamphetamine or "P", under the
Misuse of Drugs Act yesterday.

Health Minister Annette King said the order makes ephedrine and
pseudoephedrine Class C 5 controlled drugs, except in circumstances where
pseudoephedrine products were currently pharmacy only medicines.

She said the classification would maintain access to these "useful,
effective and safe therapeutic substances for legitimate users". Such
pseudoephedrine products become Class C 3 controlled drugs.

Ms King said officials were consulting the industry over regulations to
clarify the classification of those products.

She said the classifications made it illegal to import ephedrine and
pseudoephedrine without a licence, and significantly increased the penalties
for illegally importing the precursors for illicit use in the manufacture of
methamphetamine.

Police, the National Drug Intelligence Bureau and pharmacists had
co-operated to minimise the success of those who shopped for
over-the-counter pseudoephedrine products on behalf of methamphetamine
manufacturers. There had been a 21 per cent decrease in pharmacy sales of
pseudoephedrine products in the past 18 months.

"We are now back to the December 1994 levels of pseudoephedrine sales."

Cabinet had agreed to changes to the Misuse of Drugs Act which would
increase police and customs search and seizure powers in cracking down on
the precursors.

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said her party had opposed a
previous proposal to reclassify methamphetamine "because we didn't believe
that reclassification alone was going to achieve anything".

"It was simply going to give police powers which they could use to hassle
people without warrant and we didn't see that it was going to in any way
bring the drug under control."

However, it supported this move to reclassify ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

It had wanted a focus on education and Ms Fitzsimons said there had been
more funding for community education.

It had also wanted action on the precursors from which "P" was made, which
was now being done.

"All the information we can find is that the main problem is not chemist
shops. Small quantities from chemist shops may be used but the real problems
are coming with bulk imports of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine and tackling
that through more customs powers is exactly the right way to go," Ms
Fitzsimons said.

The classification gave an appropriate degree of regulation but no police
powers to search on the street without warrant.

"This is a terrible drug which has dreadful social consequences and we must
do everything we can to get rid of it," she said.

No party voted against the Government motion after the debate last night.