Health Minister David Clark has introduced the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill to Parliament.

The omnibus bill classifies AMB-FUBINACA and 5F-ADB as Class A drugs, affirm the existing discretion to prosecute for possession and use of all drugs, and enables temporary drug class orders to be issued for emerging and potentially harmful substances.s

“We need to treat drug use as a health issue – and that’s exactly what this Bill does," Dr Clark says.

“Interrupting supply is a key part of a health response. Classifying these synthetics as Class A drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act gives Police the powers they need to target the criminals that are getting rich from peddling them. We want to get these synthetic drugs off our streets.

“Fear of prosecution can deter people from seeking help to deal with addiction issues. This bill reaffirms in law the existing Police discretion about when to prosecute and explicitly requires consideration of whether a health-centred or therapeutic approach would be more beneficial,” Dr Clark says.