Social Drugs & Medicines

In 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act was passed in effort to stop the drug crisis. The Act was aimed towards accountability and zero-tolerance towards addicts.. Critics accused the government of spending too much on enforcing rather than educating and treatment. Its effects were similar to those of Prohibition so in 1988 the act was redone (Bondi 395).

Section 64 (1) of the Act states that “No person shall, to the prejudice of the purchaser, sell any medicinal product which is not of the nature or quality demanded by the purchaser (The Medicines Act, 1968). This essentially means that every time a patient is accidently handed a wrong medicine- one that was not on the prescription, the pharmacist faces not only disciplinary action,

This act is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom and it governs the manufacture and supply of medicine.

The three classifications are A, B & C. The classes measure the level of harm that any of the individual drugs out there may cause mentally and physically. Withdrawal reactions are taken into consideration, i.e. when an individual reduces usage or stops it all together. Another factor that is brought to attention is the harm which misuse of any singular drug may bring to communities, families, and society. This helps justify the purpose of the act itself. This act does not just state what is illegal and the consequences attached to the drugs held within the classing system, it looks at the bigger and broader picture for everyone. Cannabis is currently placed in class

The Act controls supply of the medications. This act states that medicines supplied or sold at a pharmacy under the management of a qualified pharmacist. Then again, a few medications can be sold at different premises, for example, stores, the length of their repackaging and the premises can be shut to bar people in general. It's unlawful to offer medication from business stalls or from vehicles, for example, at auto boot

Outcome 1 – Understand the legislative framework for the use of medication in social care settings.

Drug classification is put into 1 of 3 groups’ A, B and C. Class A drugs are the most harmful. New psychoactive substances is a new drugs early warning system. There are many new drugs being discovered which cannot be classed as safe or legal, the new psychoactive substances service bans newly identified harmful drugs within days. The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is the main law/legislation to control and classify drugs that are ‘dangerous or otherwise harmful’ when misused. The act makes it illegal for people to:

Drug Policy, this policy and PSHE & Citizenship Policy overlap as the rules to be adhered to are in conjunction with the PSHE & Citizenship Policy. The purpose of a Drugs policy is to protect staff and students alike so this is a dual policy action; it is pupil welfare and staff procedures. It is also to give a clear statement of where the school stands on the subject of drugs. This policy is also to determine how we, as staff at the school, respond to and deal with drug incidents and to clarify our legal responsibilities. What we perceive as a drug is a substance which when taken into the body changes the way we act and the way we see things. Drugs can be legal substances such as alcohol, volatile substances and prescribed drugs, as well as illegal substances. Students are not permitted to use these at school (unless they are medication prescribed by the doctor and kept in accordance with the correct procedures). Likewise, it would be unethical and a disciplinary offence if a member of staff were using these substances at school or even prior to coming to work and was still under the influence of any substance which would affect the way they conduct themselves

Legislation – The Medicines Act, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, The Health and Safety at Work Act, The Misuse of Drugs Act, The Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations, Health and Social Care Act

This act, under the direct administration of the Bureau of Chemistry, forbade the interstate transport of illegal food and drugs, and exposed any responsible parties, that dare to violate the law, to penalty of seizure of the questionable products and/or prosecution. In fact, the foundation of the law relies on the regulation of product labeling rather than pre-market approval. The selling of Drugs, which are defined according to the standards of strength, quality, and purity in the United States Pharmacopoeia and the National Formulary, is denied under any other condition except that the specific variations from the applicable standards were clearly stated on the label. However, there were different standards that defined foods, but the law outlawed the addition of any ingredients that would alternate for the food, hide damage, generate a health danger, or constitute a filthy or decomposed substance. The controversial interpretations of the food provisions in the law engendered many, sometimes prolonged, court battles. In case the manufacturer decided to list the weight or measure of a food, this had to be done accurately. Also, the food or drug label could not be false or misleading in any particular, and the presence and amount of eleven dangerous ingredients, including alcohol, heroin, and cocaine, had to be listed (Nash 276-77).

The systematic scheduling of drugs in the United States is arbitrary which leads to a discriminative social injustice. Some psychedelic substances such as Psilocybin are schedule 1 drugs, while alcohol and nicotine are legal. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) both alcohol and nicotine are proven to be harmful and addictive (2017). Conversely, Psychedelic substances have not been proven to be addictive. This equates to a social injustice that discriminates over someone who may prefer the effects of psilocybin to nicotine, even under the science that has shown nicotine and alcohol have a higher potential for abuse. Unfortunately, many political factors come into play regarding the legal status of drugs and industries such as the pharmaceutical, tobacco and alcohol industries, who harbor the most money and have an influence in the legality of drugs whether they are safe or not. While legalizing psychedelic substances would most likely cut into profits for these large industries they would bring about economic benefits as well.

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ACT: PREFATORY NOTE 1 (UNIF. LAW COMM’N 1994). In 1970, the Act was adopted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Id. This non-profit association “provides states with non-partisan, well-conceived and well-drafted legislation that brings clarity and stability to critical areas of state statutory law.” UNIF. LAW COMM’N, CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE ACT: DRAFTING HISTORY (2016). This organization was established in 1892 and is composed of lawyers, judges, and legislators who have been appointed by state governments to research, draft, and promote enactment of uniform state laws. UNIF. LAW COMM’N: ABOUT THE ULC (2016). After an Act is adopted by this association, each state legislature will vote to adopt the uniform law for it to become effective in the state.

Since the late 19th century, the federal and states governments of the United States have enacted laws and policies to deter the use and distribution of illegal drugs. These laws and policies have not only deemed what drugs are legal and illegal, but have also established penalties for the possession and distribution of these substances and established federal agencies to control drug use and administer drug law enforcement. This essay will not only examine the landmark drug laws and policies established by the federal and state governments, but also the enforcement of drug laws.

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) gives certain bodies or individuals such as research scientists, pharmacies, doctors and manufacturers the legal right to access controlled substances.

The history of drug use dates back for thousands of years with diverse purposes throughout humanity. According to Levinthal (2012), the drug-taking behavior gained federal awareness in the early 1900s, due to the lack of drug control regulations. Moreover, Levinthal (2012) mentions four major drug control laws which were established, including: (1) The Harrison Narcotic Act 1914, (2) The Marijuana Tax Act 1937, (3) The Boggs Act 1951, and (4) The Controlled Substance Act 1970. The drug control laws formed help regulate importation, manufacture, selling, or distribution of drugs within the United States (Levinthal, 2012).