Correspondence

Government response to the ACMD's review of the evidence on the use and harms of diphenidine (accessible)

Published 10 August 2023

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

© Crown copyright 2023

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-use-and-harms-of-diphenidine/government-response-to-the-acmds-review-of-the-evidence-on-the-use-and-harms-of-diphenidine-accessible

Rt Hon Chris Philp MP
Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

Professor Owen Bowden-Jones,
Chair, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)

Dr David Wood,
Chair of Diphenidine and related substances Working Group, ACMD
C/o 1st Floor,
Peel Building
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

By email only ACMD@homeoffice.gov.uk

10th August 2023

Dear Owen and David,

The Government response to the ACMD advice on diphenidine and related substances.

I am grateful to the ACMD for their advice on diphenidine and its related substances. I have set out each recommendation and the Government’s response below:

Recommendation 1:

The ACMD recommend the compounds diphenidine, ephenidine and methoxyphenidine (also known as methoxphenidine) should be added to Class B of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, consistent with the classification of ketamine and other controlled dissociatives such as methoxetamine and PCP-related materials.

Government response

The Government accepts this recommendation and intends to bring forward legislation to implement it, subject to Parliamentary approval.

Recommendation 2:

As these materials have no medical use it is recommended that they should be placed in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (as amended) and added to Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs (Designation) (England, Wales and Scotland) Order 2015, to which section 7 (4) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 applies.

  • Diphenidine
  • Ephenidine
  • Methoxyphenidine (also known as methoxphenidine)

Government response

The Government accepts this recommendation and intends to bring forward legislation to implement it, subject to Parliamentary approval.

Thank you again for your advice.

Yours sincerely,

Rt Hon Chris Philp MP

Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire

Back to top