LA supply must be safeguarded, BDA warns
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- Published: Monday, 22 July 2013 07:42
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The Home Office consultation is seeking views on plans for new powers that would allow the seizure and detention of chemical substances suspected of being used as drug cutting agents, the substances used to bulk out supplies of illegal drugs.
If implemented the proposals would shift the burden of proof of misuse away from law enforcement agencies, instead placing the onus on businesses and individuals to demonstrate that substances in their possession are for legitimate use. The BDA will be emphasising in its response to the consultation that great care would need to be taken with the introduction of any new powers to ensure that the impact on legitimate uses of the affected chemicals is minimised. The consultation closes in July (2013).
Professor Damien Walmsley, the Scientific Adviser to the BDA, said: “Lidocaine is widely used in dental anaesthesia and is fundamental to patient care. It is a prescription-only medicine, and its supply is therefore already closely controlled. While healthcare professionals obviously understand the importance of controlling illegal drugs and preventing the harm they can cause, it is important that legislative changes neither disrupt the supply of products for legitimate use nor add to the cost or bureaucracy associated with their procurement.”
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