Classes of Drugs and the Law
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Classes of Drugs and the Law
Christopher Knight
If you want to find out about addiction treatment especially alcohol treatment, advice can be found here:
http://www.rehabclinic.org.uk/alcohol-rehab
Drugs are very much part of most peoples everyday lives. We need prescribed drugs to fight illness and pain and we take mild drugs such as caffeine to keep us alert and on the ball. At the other end of the scale there is the “drug culture” where choice is taken away and drugs control peoples lives.
Luckily in modern society we are more aware of the issues of addiction and we try and confront the problem in two ways. Firstly through helping the addict (addiction treatment and alcohol treatment) and secondly through deterring the use of dangerous drugs through fines and imprisonment. So how are drugs seen in the eyes of the law and where does that grey line lie?
Class A drugs
These are the considered the most addictive drugs on the market. They give the user a very powerful mind altering stimulating effect. But the effect is usually short-lived creating such a sudden crash and return to reality the user is instantly yearning for another hit.
Because the body becomes tolerant to these drugs the user soon finds he needs a greater amount of the drug to reach the same high or steer clear of the nightmare withdrawals. Cocaine, Crack and freeform (all in fact forms of cocaine listed here in terms of their purity) are all Class A drugs.
Heroin has two forms – the usual white powder and “Brown”. The latter is often used by clubbers as a chill out drug. As well as having mind altering properties Heroin is also used as a painkiller. Acid is the street name for LSD which is a hallucinogenic drug.
Users and addicts alike report good trips and bad ones. When the trips are bad they can be horrific. Ecstasy or “E” as it is known on the street is found in pill form and is an extract of the chemical MDMA Used primarily while clubbing, young peoples deaths from this drug are well recorded. Crystal meth and Methadone are all Class A drugs.
The law is the same for any of the above but the penalty received is dependant upon whether the individual was in possession or supplying to others. The latter carries the highest fine. Possession of a Class A drug will lead to up to seven years in prison whereas supplying can lead to a life sentence in prison and an unlimited fine.
Classes B and C
Even though Class A drugs are considered the most addictive drugs and dangerous in the eyes of the law, I feel it should also be made clear that all the drugs mentioned in the whole of this article could be dangerously addictive and lead for the need for addiction treatment. Many do not realise that alcohol comes under this classification.
There are a considerable amount of laws attached to the buying and taking of this everyday substance. For instance, it is illegal to give a child under 5, alcohol. Unless a public house has a “Child Certificate” it cannot allow children under 14 on its premises.
Even if the certificate is present, it remains illegal to give a child of 14 or 15 an alcoholic drink. A child of 16 or 17 can buy a drink with a meal, but it remains illegal to sell a drink to a child under 18.
Tranquillisers like alcohol are very much a part of modern society. Designed to reduce anxiety, promote calm, relaxation and sleep there are more than a hundred different forms of these common drugs. Unfortunately they can be very addictive and their use has seeped into the street black market. They can therefore only be taken if prescribed by a physician.
Unauthorised possession could result in a prison sentence of up to 2 years and an unlimited fine. Supplying, which means giving some to your friends, could mean up to 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine.
Steroids are often used by athletes in training or for such medical complaints such as asthma, eczema and skin inflammations. However Anabolic steroids are termed a Class C drug in the eyes of the law. They can only be sold at a pharmacist via a Doctors prescription. It is legal to possess or import steroids for your own personal use but if there is intent to supply the dealer will face up to 14 years in prison
Speed is the street name for a range of amphetamines such as amphetamine sulphate and Dexedrine. It has the unusual position of being a Class A and a Class B drug. If it is prepared in order to be taken orally, speed is considered Class B. But if it is prepared for injection (because the effects are much quicker) it is a Class A drug. For possession there is a penalty of up to five years in prison and for intent to supply – up to 14 years.
According to statistics Cannabis is the most widely used drug in the UK. As well as being a very mild sedative it also has a slight mind-altering property. As a class B drug the police will always take action whether the user is in possession or attempting to supply.
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