The Andrews Labor Government is today introducing laws that ban the sale and production of all synthetic drugs and give police greater powers to prosecute ice traffickers.

The Labor Government continues to crack down on dealers who sell and supply dangerous, life-threatening drugs to our community. Currently, the only way to stop synthetic drugs is to legally categorise each specific compound or class of compound as an illicit drug.

But as more drugs are placed on the register, manufacturers tweak the chemical formula to sidestep the ban.

Our reforms will complement our illicit drug controls by also outlawing the production, sale and promotion of any substances that have a psychoactive effect, including synthetic cannabinoids and ecstasy. Similar laws also exist in NSW and Western Australia.

These dangerous drugs have been linked to hospital emergency admissions and the deaths of three Victorians over a four-month period between 2013 and 2014.

The Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Miscellaneous Amendment Bill 2017 also provides for tough new penalties to anyone peddling these drugs, including up to two years in prison or more than $37,000 in fines.

The Labor Government is also stepping up the fight against ice dealers, reducing the harm caused by these dangerous drugs by reducing the amount of ice required for commercial trafficking offences.

Under the legislation:

large commercial trafficable quantities for methylamphetamine will be cut from 750g to 500g (when pure) and from 1kg to 750g (when mixed),

commercial trafficable quantities for methylamphetamine will be cut from 100g to 50g (when pure) and from 500g to 250g (when mixed).

The Labor Government’s $103 million Ice Action Plan is expanding treatment services, providing more support for families, protecting frontline workers and giving extra powers to close down manufacturers and make our community safer.

The legislation also ensures detainees can receive treatment for heroin or other opioid drug addiction while in police cells to help them break the cycle of drug abuse.

Quotes Attributable to the Premier Daniel Andrews

“We won’t tolerate ice dealers who do nothing but peddle misery and destroy the lives of Victorians and their families – these laws give police the powers they need to crack down on them.”

“Synthetic drugs are dangerous chemical cocktails that don’t belong on the counter – we’ll make it illegal to make them and sell them.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Police Lisa Neville

“We are outlawing all synthetic drugs to protect our communities from the harm they cause. Under these reforms, authorities will no longer need to play catch-up as new substances come onto the market.”