Click here to jump to the main content
National Drug Policy New Zealand.

National Drug Policy New Zealand

 
Print this   Email this

Committees

Public Input to the Drug Classification Process

There is a process for written public submissions to the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs (EACD) on particular drugs. The EACD Secretariat will publish, as soon as practicable, a list of drugs to be considered by the EACD at future meetings, on this website.

Interested parties are welcome to lodge written submissions with the Secretariat about any particular drug the EACD will be considering.

However, the EACD would appreciate evidenced-based submissions that are consistent with the criteria specified in the Misuse of Drugs Act.

That is:
  • substance identification
  • the drug’s similarity to known substances
  • current classification (if any)
  • proposed classification
  • likelihood or evidence of abuse (eg, prevalence of the drug, seizure trends, and potential appeal to vulnerable populations)
  • specific effects of the drug (eg, pharmacological, psychoactive, and toxicological effects of the drug)
  • risk, if any, to public health
  • therapeutic value of the drug
  • potential for death upon use
  • ability to create physical or psychological dependence
  • international classification and experience of the drug in other jurisdictions
  • other matters
  • references.
Interested parties may also propose by letter that the EACD considers a particular drug (or class of drugs) that has not previously been put forward. As the EACD can only consider a handful of drugs at each meeting there will inevitably be a prioritisation process involved.

Written submissions on a drug, or proposals that a drug be considered, can be sent to:

The EACD Secretariat
National Drug Policy Team
Public Health Directorate
Ministry of Health
PO Box 5013
WELLINGTON

The EACD Secretariat will ensure that written public submissions on drugs that the EACD is considering are put to the EACD. The Secretariat, will also maintain a register of substances that interested parties have proposed for EACD consideration.

This register will be circulated to EACD members.Submittors should be aware that any submission they lodge may be subject to a request for its release under the Official Information Act 1982.

Input at the Select Committee Stage

After the Minister has received advice from the EACD on the appropriate classification of the drug in question, she must decide whether to recommend to the Governor-General, via the Cabinet process, that the drug be classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.

If so, the Governor-General may then issue an Order in Council and the issue is referred to the Health Select Committee for consideration. The Select Committee may undertake a public consultation as a part of its process. Finally, before any law change is made regarding the classification status of a drug, it must be approved by Parliament.



Legal | newzealand.govt.nz | Minister of Health