15 April, 2004.
Dear Ms Tuke,
Re: The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ (ACMD) consideration of the reclassification/rescheduling of
Benzodiazepines.
At it’s meeting on the 11 March the ACMD’s Technical Committee considered the issue of reclassifying/rescheduling benzodiazepines. Issues discussed at the meeting included the prevalence of counterfeit benzodiazepines and the effects of the rescheduling of temazepam and flunitrazepam. Based on the evidence heard the committee felt that it would be ineffective and inappropriate to recommend the reclassification and rescheduling of other benzodiazepines.
The Forensic Science Service (FSS) informed the Committee that it did not collect data that could be used accurately to identify the prevalence of counterfeit benzodiazepines. However, according to the limited evidence they have and from anecdotal evidence it was reported that there was very littlte counterfeit benzodiazepines in circulation in England.
The Home Office Drugs Inspectorate informed the Committee that it did not formally collect data that would help ascertain the effects of rescheduling temazepam and flunitrazepam. It was put to the Committee that data from Scotland suggested that rescheduling had resulted in the reduction of the illicit use of temazepam. However it was also pointed out that this reduction in the illicit use of temazepam was probably more linked to the fact that the popularity of temazepam had declined since they were no longer available in gel format on the National Health Service rather than it being an effect of the rescheduling of temazepam. The Committee also agreed that to reschedule all benzodiazepines in the same schedule would be misleading as it would suggest that all benzodiazepines are the same.
It was agreed that the Committee would keep under review the situation with regards to benzodiazepines and consider the issue further when the need arises.
The views of the Technical Committee on this issue were presented to the full ACMD at its meeting on the 1 April.
The Council agreed with the Technical Committee’s views and further emphasised that reclassifying and / or rescheduling
benzodiazepines would be likely to be ineffective in combating their misuse and that benzodiazepine
misuse could be more effectively tackled through the implementation of good and safe prescribing guidelines
by the Department of Health.
Yours sincerely,
Saleah Ahmad
ACMD Secretariat.