About us

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs makes recommendations to government on the control of dangerous or otherwise harmful drugs, including classification and scheduling under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and its regulations.

We are an independent expert body that advises government on drug-related issues in the UK. The ACMD was established under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

We consider any substance which is being or appears to be misused and which is having or appears to be capable of having harmful effects sufficient to cause a social problem.

We also carry out in-depth inquiries into aspects of drug use that are causing particular concern in the UK, with the aim of producing considered reports that will be helpful to policy makers and practitioners.

Responsibilities

We are responsible for:

  • making recommendations to government on the control of dangerous or otherwise harmful drugs, including classification and scheduling under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and its regulations

  • considering any substances which are being or appears to be misused and of which is having or appears to be capable of having harmful effects sufficient to cause a social problem

  • carrying out in-depth inquiries into aspects of drug use that are causing particular concern in the UK, with the aim of producing considered reports that will be helpful to policy makers and practitioners

We produce reports on the following:

Priorities

Recovery

The recovery committee is the newest standing committee of the ACMD, formed in 2011 to support the ACMD to advise the government on how:

  • people can best be supported to recover from dependence on drugs and alcohol
  • best to prevent drug and alcohol misuse and the harms it causes

Novel psychoactive substances

The novel psychoactive substances committee was set up in response to the emergence of NPS that have rapidly and significantly changed the drug scene. The committee aims to monitor the prevalence and harms of NPS and where appropriate provide advice on this to government.

Technical

The Technical committee is a standing committee of the ACMD. Its primary purpose is to provide technical advice on classification and scheduling of substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and its regulations. For example, the committee is consulted on the measures necessary to ensure a controlled drug is not diverted from legitimate medical purposes.

Corporate information

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