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 six 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 seven 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 Chris Philp 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.
