Psychoactive Substances Bill

EDM number 1005 in 2015-16, proposed by Paul Flynn on 25/01/2016.
Categorised under the topic of Drugs misuse.

That this House regrets the depth of scientific illiteracy in the Government's Psychoactive Substances Bill; agrees with the New Scientist magazine that the Bill is one of the stupidest, most dangerous and unscientific pieces of drugs legislation ever; applauds the judgment of the hon. Member for Reigate that one part of the Bill is manifestly stupid; is appalled that the Bill is evidence-free and prejudice-rich in disregarding the counterproductive, harmful results of similar bills in Ireland and Poland; notes that the Reitox Poland report from 2013 shows that that country's number of legal high-related poisonings three years after their ban are above pre-ban levels, and that the European Commission's conclusion is that use of legal highs in Ireland after their ban increased from 16 per cent in 2011 to 22 per cent in 2014, with the current use in Ireland among young people the highest in the EU; is surprised that the Government disregarded 45 years of evidence which shows that prohibiting drugs and replacing legal markets with illegal ones always leads to increases in drug use and harm; affirms the unique and life-threatening perils of substances that have never previously been ingested by humankind; and commends the intelligent approach taken to reduce harm in the New Zealand Psychoactive Substances Act 2013.

This motion has been signed by a total of 4 MPs.