EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1986 NO. 388
ISSUED BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY AND COMMERCE
Regulation 10 of the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations provides amongst other things that the exportation from Australia of drugs appearing in the Eighth Schedule of the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations is prohibited unless certain conditions are satisfied, and the permission of the Secretary of the Department of Health is obtained.
At the recent 9th Special Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, decisions were taken to include a number of amphetamine-like substances in the Schedules to the Convention onPsychotropic Substances.
In view of Australia’s obligations under the Convention, relating to international trade in narcotic and psychotropic substances, action is needed to institute controls on the importation and exportation of the prescribed substances.
The Regulation adds the 17 amphetamine-type substances recently added to the Convention on Psycotropic Substances, to the Eighth Schedule to the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations. In addition, two other substances are added to bring this Schedule into line with controls which were earlier added to the Fourth Schedule to the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations. The amendments effectively prohibit the exportation from Australia of these drugs without the permission of the Secretary of the Department of Health.