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Amphetamines: Prosecutions

Answer

Prior to 18 January 2007, methylamphetamine production formed part of the offence ““Production or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug: Amphetamine”” under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It was not possible to separately identify the production of methylamphetamine or its constituent parts from other types of amphetamine within this offence, nor was it possible to identify which cases involved the use of over-the-counter medicines for this purpose.Following methylamphetamine’s reclassification from a class B drug to a class A drug, ““Production of or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug: Methamphetamine (Crystal Meth)”” became a new offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2006, section 4(2).Information on the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 sec. 4(2) [Class ‘B’ Drug] for the offence of ““Production or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug: Amphetamine, in England and Wales for the years 2001 to 2005”” can be found in the following table. Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in the autumn of 2007.

Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates court and found guilty at all courts under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 sec. 4(2) [Class ‘B’ Drug], for the offence of production or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug: Amphetamine, in England and Wales for the years 2001-05¹, ², ³
	Number
Prosecuted
2001	8
2002	12
2003	10
2004	5
2005	13
Found guilty
2001	4
2002	3
2003	10
2004	7
2005	7
¹ These data are on the principal offence basis.
² Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
³ Prior to 18 January 2007 the production of Methamphetamine was not a separate offence. The following is the new Act and offence description for Methylamphetamine offences:
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Production of or being concerned in the production of [Class ‘A’ Drug] Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meths) s.4(2) Production of or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug Methylamphetamine (Crystal Meth).
Source:
Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

462 c1520-1W; 148034

Session

2006-07

Subjects

Prosecutions Misuse Methamphetamine

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk