Hon Jim Anderton

Member of Parliament for Wigram
Progressive Leader

21 June 2011 Media statement

So called ‘recreational drugs’ manufacturers and suppliers need to prove their products are safe before being put on sale.

Progressive leader Jim Anderton has called on the government to urgently change the law to address the problems caused by Kronic as well as other synthetic recreational drugs that are being widely sold across New Zealand.

“I’ve said it over and over again, but the responsibility needs to be put back on the manufacturers of these drugs to ensure that they are stringently tested and made safe before they are put on sale”, says Jim Anderton.

“The government could act tomorrow by putting an urgent bill before parliament that requires the manufacturers of synthetic ‘party pills’ and so-called ‘herbal highs’ to prove to food safety authorities experts that their products are safe for consumption.

“As the law currently stands, government food safety authorities have to prove the drugs aren’t safe and then take legislative after they have been sold.

“The legitimate pharmaceutical industry spends millions of dollars carefully testing their products before going to the market to ensure that their products are safe.

“The same legislation must apply to these so-called ‘legal’ recreational drugs as it’s patently clear that they are very often unsafe and can cause serious harm. The onus of proof must lay firmly at the feet of the manufacturers who make millions of dollars from such products, not taxpayers”, said Jim Anderton.

ENDS

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