GOVERNMENT TO CONSULT DRUGS ADVISORY COUNCIL OVER RECLASSIFYING MONKEY DUST
- Home Office Minister made commitment to Jack Brereton MP in Parliamentary debate
The Home Office has committed to consult the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs over reclassifying Monkey Dust to a Class A drug — in a Parliamentary debate led by Jack Brereton MP.
During the debate, the Stoke-on-Trent South MP voiced his concern that Monkey Dust is cheaply and readily available in Stoke-in-Trent. Currently a Class B drug, it is extremely dangerous with reports of people jumping off buildings, eating through glass and even dropping dead after taking it.
Jack also quoted the experiences of local people affected by the drug — many residents have shared their personal stories of lives being ruined, families being teared apart, and anti-social behaviour in Stoke-on-Trent through his live petition.
During the Westminster Hall debate, Jack Brereton MP said:
“Tragically, Stoke-on-Trent has been hit with an unenviable reputation as the centre for Monkey Dust abuse.”
A respondent who works with rough sleepers, told me “I and many professionals have been of the opinion that monkey dust needs to be correctly classified urgently in order to reduce the impact it is having.”
Another, from a community church, wrote of feeling “so helpless in how to care for and support people who have become addicted to monkey dust. I see them ruining or losing their lives.”
In response to Jack Brereton MP during the Westminster Hall debate, the Home Office Minister, Chris Philp MP announced:
“In response to this debate, I am intending to commission Home Office officials to advise on whether we should be submitting the cathinone family of drugs to the ACMD for an updated evaluation to see if it does need reclassification.”
If the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) advises that Monkey Dust should be reclassified as a Class A drug, offenders could receive life in prison, meaning that those supplying and producing monkey dust can receive the harshest of sentences.
In response to the Minister’s announcement, Jack Brereton MP said:
“The Minister’s response to the Westminster Hall debate is fantastic news. Families in Stoke-on-Trent have shared with me the most harrowing stories about how this evil drug has ruined the lives of innocent loved ones.
The sooner we get Monkey Dust reclassified as a Class A drug the better. Police and the judiciary need legal backing to put a stop to this trade. I will continue at full speed with my campaign until we get the change we need.”
Monkey Dust is a class B drug from the set of stimulants known as cathinones which includes the Class C drug, khat. But unlike khat, which is a reasonably mild natural stimulant, monkey dust is a powerful synthetic drug. It is a stimulant that can make the user euphoric or hallucinate, lose control of their body, become aggressive and/or fall into deep depression.
