Page 328 - Week 01 - Thursday, 14 February 1991
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these changes are as a result of Australia's participation in World Health Organisation drug control agreements. It is also timely to correct a printing error in the principal Act and to exempt two barbiturate preparations used for anaesthesia in accordance with recommendations of the National Health and Medical Research Council and to mirror the situation in New South Wales.
By way of further explanation, the substances MPPP and PEPAP are so-called designer drugs produced by making small alterations in the molecular structure of known control drugs. If not scheduled, the resultant designer drugs are technically legal to make and use. Ethylamphetamine and phendimetrazine are two amphetamines which are not currently marketed in Australia but have been scheduled in accordance with international agreements. The amendment relating to thiofentanyl is to correct a typographical error. I wish to assure the Assembly that these amendments will not affect current medical practice in the ACT and should be of assistance to drug law enforcement.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (4.21), in reply: Mr Speaker, I thank those who have contributed to this debate - Mr Berry and Mrs Nolan - and I congratulate Mrs Nolan for having the courage to quote some of the long and complicated drug names which appear.
Mrs Nolan: As someone who does not believe in drugs.
MR HUMPHRIES: Particularly as someone who does not believe in drugs. It was a remarkable achievement. I was rather counting on having Mr Berry get his tongue around some of these exciting sounding names in the various schedules to this amendment Bill.
Mr Berry: I have other important information-sharing duties to perform, Gary.
MR HUMPHRIES: I am sure Mr Berry has very important duties of some kind or other, but I was rather looking forward to his attempting to pronounce glutethimide, galanthamine, fosfestrol, and so on and so forth, Mr Speaker. Perhaps he would have been even interested to pronounce "follicle-stimulating hormone (animal)". I am sure that in these schedules there is something for everybody.
Mr Speaker, I want to emphasise the importance of this legislation as a contribution to the updating of the ACT's armoury in this area, to ensure that we have proper protection or provide proper protection for citizens of the Territory, and that they have at their disposal a comprehensive and adequate legislative framework to ensure that risk is minimised. It has not been the case in the past, or at least at various times in the past, and we have to be glad that we are able today to pass this legislation. I commend the Bill to the house.
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