The announcement was made first thing this morning by the minister for crime prevention, James Brokenshire.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) was established under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It’s the duty of the ACMD to keep drugs misuse in the United Kingdom under review, and to advise the Government of the Day on measures for preventing misuse and the social problems arising from that misuse.
The new chairman of the organisation is Professor Les Iversen (pharmacologist and emeritus professor at the University of Oxford), who has served as interim chairperson of the ACMD since January last year.
Iversen is a neuropharmacologist who has worked in academia and industry. His research focuses on the actions of drugs on the brain.
He acted as specialist advisor to the House of Lords ‘Cannabis’ enquiry (1998) and served as a member of the Royal College of Physicians enquiry into medical uses of cannabis in 2006.
Iversen is the author of two books on psychoactive drugs: ‘The Science of Marijuana’ (OUP, 2000 and 2008) and ‘Speed, Ecstasy and Ritalin: the Science of Amphetamines’ (OUP, 2006).
Other new appointees
Content of the minister’s statement
On the new appointments, James Brokenshire said this morning: “I’m pleased to welcome the chairman and new members to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and look forward to working with them over the coming years.”
The minister continued: “As we made clear in the 2010 Drug Strategy, high quality advice in this field is essential. The ACMD is an integral and valuable part of the Government’s approach to tackling the harms caused by drug misuse.”
Brokenshire made it plain that the Government is committed to ensuring the ACMD remains an independent body with a broad, robust skills base, representing expertise in science, enforcement, health and drug treatment as well as social policy.”
Brokenshire stressed: “The independent advice provided by the ACMD helps to protect us from the real dangers posed by illicit drug use.”
Detail of the appointments
The appointments will be for a period of three years, are unpaid and have been made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there’s a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if any declared) to be made public.
Dr Hans-Christian Raabe declared political activity, having stood in 2009 as MEP candidate in the North West region for the Christian Party/Christian Peoples Alliance Party.
A Board comprising representatives from the Home Office, the ACMD and an independent OCPA assessor recommended the appointments, which were approved by the Home Secretary Theresa May and James Brokenshire.
Membership of the ACMD now stands at 25. Legislation requires a minimum of 20 members for the Council to function. Members are appointed on an individual basis and not as representatives of the organisations for whom they work.
More information about ACMD can be found on the Home Office website. Information on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 can also be found online, as may the current list of ACMD members.
Access the links provided on the right hand panel of this page for details
