18 April 2001

Minister names members of Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs

HEALTH Minister Annette King today named ten members of the new Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs that will streamline the process of classifying drugs.

"The committee will help reduce drug-related harm to New Zealanders by providing me with evidence-based technical advice on classifying drugs. This should help remove some of emotive factors that have influenced drug classification in the past," Mrs King said.

The committee is being established after the Misuse of Drugs Act was amended last year and Mrs King said the advice it provides will help ensure consistency in classification.

She said the Ministry of Health, the Police and the Customs Service had started preparing preliminary reports on specific substances to be considered for classification or re-classification by the committee.

The members of the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs named by the Minister are:

Dr Bob Boyd Ministry of Health Chief Advisor,
Public Health Directorate (chair)

Dr Stewart Jessamine Medsafe Senior Medical Advisor
Det Insp Harry Quinn NZ Police
Mr Andrew Coleman NZ Customs
Dr Keith Bedford expertise in toxicology
Assoc Prof Tim Maling expertise in pharmacologogy
Dr Helen Moriarty experitise in community medicine
Dr Geoffrey Robinson expertise in drug and alcohol treatment
Dr Douglas Sellman expertise in psychology
Mr Keremete Warbrick consumer representative

For further information contact:

Angus Barclay, Media Advisor, Ministry of Health Tel: 04- 496-2067 Internet Address; http://www.moh.govt.nz

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