The office of Simon Hayes shares his views on the Psychoactive Substances Act. Ed
Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Simon Hayes, has cautiously welcomed the forthcoming introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act.
He said:
“Anything that makes it difficult for those manufacturing, transporting or selling mind-altering substances, and therefore reduces the numbers of people consuming them, has to be a good thing. For this reason I welcome the Psychoactive Substances Act coming into force; however I do express a level of caution in doing so.
“I have long campaigned for either a complete ban or tighter regulations around the sale and use of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), which can cause serious physical and mental illness and even death. The Psychoactive Substances Act is however a complicated piece of legislation and nationally uncertainties have been expressed around how enforceable it is in practice.”
Psychoactive Substances Act imminent
The Psychoactive Substances Act comes into force on 6 April and will make it an offence to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess with intent to supply, possess on custodial premises, import or export psychoactive substances.
The maximum sentence will be seven years imprisonment.
Some substances such as caffeine, alcohol, foods, and medicines are excluded and there are exemptions covering healthcare activities and approved scientific research. Controlled drugs such as cocaine will continue to be regulated by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Simon Hayes continued:
“A positive of the Act is that it does not seek to criminalise those who take these substances, but instead seeks to disrupt the supply chain and impose significant penalties for those involved in the production and distribution of NPS. This means it is vital that the implementation of the legislation is supported by a strong awareness raising programme that seeks to educate people around the dangers of taking these substances so they can make informed choices.
“My Youth Commission has made one of its recommendations to continue the successful Lethal High’s campaign it launched last year and expand it beyond young people to parents and people who work with young people so they can feel more confident in offering support and advice.”
