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The Act sought to implement two important recommendations of the Second
Brain Committee (1965), namely, that all addicts to dangerous drugs should be
notified and that the prescribing of "hard" drugs to addicts (i.e. cocaine and heroin)
should be limited to doctors on the staff of treatment centres. It also set out the
procedure for dealing with contravention of the new regulations, and penalties.
There were also powers to make new regulations in regard to the safe custody of
drugs. An important section of the Act gave further powers to the police to search
premises and vehicles and to search and detain persons where there are reasonable
grounds to suspect illegal possession of drugs.
The Dangerous Drugs (Notification of Addicts) Regulations, 1968, require all
medical practitioners to notify the Chief Medical Officer at the Home Office, within
seven days, particulars of any person whom he has attended and suspected of
addiction to drugs. Notification is not required when this has already been done
by a doctor within twelve months or where the continual administration of the
drugs concerned is required for relieving pain due to organic disease or injury.
Ministry of Health Circular 5/68 asked for the regulations to be brought to the
notice of all medical staff and this was done. A memorandum (HM (68)6) was
also issued by the Ministry of Health, describing the procedure for notifying drug
addicts, and advising that where a doctor is in doubt whether a person is to be
regarded as addicted for the purpose of the regulations, he may consult an advisory
panel of doctors appointed by the Minister for this purpose.
The Dangerous Drugs (Supply to Addicts) Regulations, 1968, prohibit the
administration to addicts of heroin and cocaine except under Home Office Licence.
These regulations do not interfere with the right of a doctor to administer drugs
to relieve pain due to organic disease or injury, but since the Home Office do
not intend to issue licences for use in general practice the treatment of addicts will
be centralised on hospital treatment centres. Ministry of Health Circular 10/68
asked for the regulations to be brought to the notice of all medical staff and this
was done. A memorandum (HM (68)11) was also issued by the Ministry of Health,
describing the arrangements for dealing with addicts at hospital treatment centres
at which there was expected to be an increased demand following the issue of the
regulations. This memorandum included details of the London Information Service,
a twenty-four hour special service set up to provide information by telephone only
to general practitioners and hospital medical staff on the availability in London
of out-patient services for the treatment of heroin addicts.
Information on the extent of drug dependency is, of course, notoriously difficult
to obtain and evaluate. However, the Health Department has no definite evidence
pointing to this being a major problem in the borough at present.
ALCOHOLISM
Ministry of Health Circular 16/68 forwarded a memorandum containing further
advice from the Standing Mental Health Advisory Committee on the treatment of
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