Australian Capital Territory
Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) Act 1957     No 9
Republication No 4
Republication date: 31 July 2002
Last amendment made by Act 2001 No 44
Amendments incorporated to 12 September 2001

Unauthorised version prepared by ACT Parliamentary Counsel’s Office

About this republication
The republished law
This is a republication of the Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) Act 1957, including any amendment made under the Legislation Act 2001, part 11.3 (Editorial changes), as in force on 31 July 2002.  It also includes any amendment, repeal or expiry affecting the republished law to 12 September 2001.  
The legislation history and amendment history of the republished law are set out in endnotes 3 and 4. 
Kinds of republications
The Parliamentary Counsel’s Office prepares 2 kinds of republications of ACT laws (see the ACT legislation register at www.legislation.act.gov.au):
•	authorised republications to which the Legislation Act 2001 applies
•	unauthorised republications.
The status of this republication appears on the bottom of each page.
Editorial changes
The Legislation Act 2001, part 11.3 authorises the Parliamentary Counsel to make editorial amendments and other changes of a formal nature when preparing a law for republication.  Editorial changes do not change the effect of the law, but have effect as if they had been made by an Act commencing on the republication date (see Legislation Act 2001, s 115 and s 117).  The changes are made if the Parliamentary Counsel considers they are desirable to bring the law into line, or more closely into line, with current legislative drafting practice.  
This republication includes amendments made under part 11.3 (see endnote 1).
Uncommenced provisions and amendments
If a provision of the republished law has not commenced or is affected by an uncommenced amendment, the symbol  U  appears immediately before the provision heading.  The text of the uncommenced provision or amendment appears only in the last endnote.
Modifications
If a provision of the republished law is affected by a current modification, the symbol  M  appears immediately before the provision heading.  The text of the modifying provision appears in the endnotes.  For the legal status of modifications, see Legislation Act 2001, section 95.
Penalties
The value of a penalty unit for an offence against this republished law at the republication date is—
	(a)	if the person charged is an individual—$100; or
	(b)	if the person charged is a corporation—$500.

Amendments incorporated to
12 September 2001

Australian Capital Territory
Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) Act 1957

Contents
	Page

	1	Name of Act	2
	2	Definitions for Act	2
	4	Manufacture, use, possession etc of prohibited drugs	2
	5	Search warrants	2
	6	Destruction of prohibited drugs given to chief health officer	3
	6A	Authority to possess prohibited drugs for research purposes	3
	6B	Review of decisions of Minister	3
	6C	Notification of decisions	4
	7	Regulation-making power	4
Schedule 1		5
Endnotes
	1	About the endnotes	6
	2	Abbreviation key	6
	3	Legislation history	7
	4	Amendment history	9
	5	Earlier republications	10

Amendments incorporated to
12 September 2001

Australian Capital Territory
Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) Act 1957

An Act to prohibit the manufacture, use, sale, distribution and possession of prohibited drugs, and for other purposes

    

1	Name of Act
This Act is the Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) Act 1957.
2	Definitions for Act
In this Act:
Note	A definition applies except so far as the contrary intention appears (see Legislation Act 2001, s 155).
chief health officer means the chief health officer under the Public Health Act 1997.
prohibited drug means—
	(a)	a substance the name of which is specified in the schedule 1; or
	(b)	a substance of a kind specified in the schedule 1; or
	(c)	goods that consist in part of a substance the name of which is specified in the schedule 1 or a substance of a kind specified in the schedule 1.
4	Manufacture, use, possession etc of prohibited drugs
	(1)	A person shall not manufacture, prepare, use, sell, dispose of or have in his or her possession a prohibited drug.
Maximum penalty:  50 penalty units, imprisonment for 6 months or both.
5	Search warrants
	(1)	If a magistrate is satisfied by information on oath that there is reasonable ground for suspecting that a prohibited drug is on any premises or at any place, he or she may grant a search warrant authorising a police officer named in the warrant, with the assistance that he or she considers necessary, to enter, if need be by force, at any time or times within 1 month from the date of the warrant, on the premises or place named or described in the warrant, and to search the premises or place and any person found on the premises or place, and to seize and carry away any prohibited drugs found on the premises or place or in the possession of any person on the premises or place.
	(2)	A person who seizes a prohibited drug under subsection (1) shall give the drug to the chief health officer.
6	Destruction of prohibited drugs given to chief health officer
A prohibited drug given to the chief health officer under this Act shall be destroyed by a person authorised by the chief health officer in the way the chief health officer directs.
6A	Authority to possess prohibited drugs for research purposes
	(1)	The Minister may, in writing, authorise a person who is engaged in scientific or medical research to have in his or her possession a specified prohibited drug for the purposes of research.
	(2)	An authority under subsection (1) is subject to the conditions and restrictions (if any) specified in the authority.
	(3)	A person to whom an authority under subsection (1) has been granted shall comply with the conditions and restrictions specified in the authority for subsection (2).
Maximum penalty:  50 penalty units.
	(4)	While an authority granted under subsection (1) remains in force, the person to whom the authority was granted does not commit an offence against section 4 (1) only because of preparing, having in his or her possession or using a prohibited drug specified in the authority.
6B	Review of decisions of Minister
Application may be made to the administrative appeals tribunal for a review of a decision of the Minister—
	(a)	refusing to authorise a person under section 6A (1); or
	(b)	specifying a condition or restriction to which an authority under section 6A (1) is subject; or
	(c)	revoking, amending or varying an instrument under section 6A (1).
6C	Notification of decisions
	(1)	If a decision of a kind referred to in section 6B is made, the Minister shall give notice of the decision to a person whose interests are affected by the decision.
	(2)	A notice under subsection (1) shall be in accordance with the requirements of the code of practice in force under the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1989, section 25B (1).
7	Regulation-making power
The Executive may make regulations for this Act.
Note 	Regulations must be notified, and presented to the Legislative Assembly, under the Legislation Act 2001.

Schedule 1
(see s 2)
column 1
item	column 2
	
1	Allylisopropylacetylurea	
2	Aminophenazone	
3	Derivatives of aminophenazone	
4	Amygdalin	
5	Buclosamide	
6	Buniodyl sodium	
7	Dulcin	
8	Methyl cinchophen	
9	Oxyphenisatin	
10	Acetyl derivatives of oxyphenisatin	
11	Triparanol	

Endnotes
1	About the endnotes
Amending and modifying laws are annotated in the legislation history and the amendment history.  Current modifications are not included in the republished law but are set out in the endnotes.
Not all editorial amendments made under the Legislation Act 2001, part 11.3 are annotated in the amendment history.  Full details of any amendments can be obtained from the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office.
Uncommenced amending laws and expiries are listed in the legislation history and the amendment history.  These details are underlined.  Uncommenced provisions and amendments are not included in the republished law but are set out in the last endnote.
If all the provisions of the law have been renumbered, a table of renumbered provisions gives details of previous and current numbering.  
The endnotes also include a table of earlier republications.
If the republished law includes penalties, current information about penalty unit values appears on the republication inside front cover.
2	Abbreviation key

am = amended	ord = ordinance	
amdt = amendment	orig = original	
ch = chapter	p = page	
cl = clause	par = paragraph	
def = definition	pres = present	
dict = dictionary	prev = previous	
disallowed = disallowed by the Legislative 	(prev...) = previously	
Assembly	prov = provision	
div = division	pt = part	
exp = expires/expired	r = rule/subrule	
Gaz = Gazette	reg = regulation/subregulation	
hdg = heading	renum = renumbered	
IA = Interpretation Act 1967	reloc = relocated	
ins = inserted/added	R[X] = Republication No	
LA = Legislation Act 2001	s = section/subsection	
LR = legislation register	sch = schedule	
LRA = Legislation (Republication) Act 1996	sdiv = subdivision	
mod = modified / modification	sub = substituted	
No = number	SL  = Subordinate Law	
num = numbered	underlining = whole or part not commenced	
o = order	or to be expired	
om = omitted/repealed		
3	Legislation history
This Act was originally a Commonwealth ordinance—the Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) Ordinance 1957 No 9 (Cwlth).
The Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 (Cwlth), s 34 (4) converted most former Commonwealth ordinances in force in the ACT into ACT enactments. This allowed the ACT Legislative Assembly to amend and repeal the laws. This Act was converted into an ACT enactment on 11 May 1989 (self-government day).
As with most ordinances in force in the ACT, the name was changed from Ordinance to Act by the Self-Government (Citation of Laws) Act 1989 No 21, s 5 on 11 May 1989 (self-government day).
Before 11 May 1989, ordinances commenced on their notification day unless otherwise stated (see Seat of Government (Administration) Act 1910 (Cwlth), s 12).
	Legislation before becoming Territory enactment
Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) Act 1957 No 9
notified 3 October 1957
commenced 3 October 1957
as amended by
Ordinances Revision (Decimal Currency) Ordinance 1966 No 19
notified 23 December 1966
commenced 23 December 1966
Ordinances Revision (Health Commission) Ordinance 1975 No 17
notified 1 July 1975
commenced 1 July 1975
Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) Ordinance 1975 No 37
notified 24 October 1975
commenced 24 October 1975
Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) Ordinance 1977 No 39
notified 24 August 1977
commenced 24 August 1977
Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) (Amendment) Ordinance 1978 No 23
notified 29 August 1978
commenced 29 August 1978
Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) (Amendment) Ordinance (No 2) 1978 No 40
notified 19 December 1978
commenced 29 December 1978 (s 3 and see Cwlth Gaz 1978 No S290)
Ordinances Revision Ordinance 1978 No 46
notified 28 December 1978
commenced 28 December 1978
Magistrates Court Ordinance 1985 No 67 sch pt 1
notified 19 December 1985
notified 1 February 1986 (s 2 and Cwlth Gaz 1986 No G3)
Community and Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Ordinance 1988 No 29 sch
notified 30 June 1988
commenced 2 July 1988 (s 2)
Public Health (Prohibited Drugs) (Amendment) Ordinance 1988 No 95
notified 20 December 1988
commenced 21 December 1988 (s 2 and Cwlth Gaz 1988 No S401)
Self-Government (Consequential Amendments) Ordinance 1989 No 38 sch 1
notified 10 May 1989 (Cwlth Gaz 1989 No S160)
s 1, s 2 commenced 10 May 1989 (s 2 (1))
remainder commenced 11 May 1989 (s 2 (2) and see Cwlth Gaz 1989 No S164)
	Legislation after becoming Territory enactment
Health Services (Consequential Provisions) Act 1990 No 63 sch 1
notified 28 December 1990 (Gaz 1990 No S102)
s 1, s 2 commenced 28 December 1990 (s 2 (1))
sch 1 commenced 31 January 1991 (s 2 (2) and see Gaz 1991 No S4)
Health (Consequential Provisions) Act 1993 No 14 sch 1
notified 1 March 1993 (Gaz 1993 No S23)
sch 1 commenced 1 March 1993 (s 2)
Administrative Appeals (Consequential Amendments) Act 1994 No 60 sch 1
notified 11 October 1994 (Gaz 1994 No S197)
s 1, s 2 commenced 11 October 1994 (s 2 (1))
sch 1 commenced 14 November 1994 (s 2 (2)) and see Gaz 1994 No S250)
Public Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 No 70 sch 1
notified 9 October 1997 (Gaz 1997 No S300)
ss 1-3 commenced 9 October 1997 (s 2 (1))
sch 1 commenced 13 August 1998 (s 2 (2) and Gaz 1998 No S185)
Statute Law Revision (Penalties) Act 1998 No 54 sch
notified 27 November 1998 (Gaz 1998 No S207)
s 1, s 2 commenced 27 November 1998
sch commenced 9 December 1998 (s 2 and Gaz 1998 No 49)
Legislation (Consequential Amendments) Act 2001 No 44 pt 312
notified 26 July 2001 (Gaz 2001 No 30)
s 1, s 2 commenced 26 July 2001 (IA s 10B)
pt 312 commenced 12 September 2001 (s 2 and see Gaz 2001 No S65)
4	Amendment history
Definitions for Act
s 2	am 1975 No 17; 1975 No  37; 1978 No 40; 1978 No 46; 1985 No 67 sch pt 1; 1988 No 29 sch
	def board ins 1990 No 63 sch 1
	om 1993 No 14 sch 1
	def chief health officer ins 1997 No 70 sch 1
	def general manager om 1990 No 63 sch 1
	def medical officer of health ins 1990 No 63 sch 1
	om 1997 No 70 sch 1
	def service om 1990 No 63 sch 1
Prohibited drugs
s 3	om 1975 No 37
Manufacture, use, possession etc of prohibited drugs
s 4	am 1966 No 19; 1975 No 17; 1975 No 37; 1978 No 40; 1998 No 54 sch
Search warrants
s 5	am 1975 No 17; 1988 No 29; 1990 No 63 sch 1; 1997 No 70 sch 1
Destruction of prohibited drugs given to chief health officer
s 6	am 1975 No 17; 1977 No 39; 1988 No 29; 1990 No 63 sch 1; 1997 No 70 sch 1
Authority to possess prohibited drugs for research purposes
s 6A	ins 1977 No 39
	am 1988 No 29; 1990 No 63 sch 1; 1993 No 14 sch 1; 1998 No 54 sch
Review of decisions of Minister
s 6B	ins 1978 No 23
	am 1988 No 29; 1990 No 63 sch 1; 1993 No 14 sch 1
Notification of decisions
s 6C	ins 1994 No 60 sch 1
Regulation-making power
s 7	am 1989 No 38 sch 1
	sub 2001 No 44 amdt 1.3450
Schedule 1
sch 1	ins 1975 No 37
	sub 1978 No 40
	am 1988 No 95
	renum R4 LA
5	Earlier republications
Some earlier republications were not numbered. The number in column 1 refers to the publication order.  
Since 12 September 2001 every authorised republication has been published in electronic pdf format on the ACT legislation register.  A selection of authorised republications have also been published in printed format. These republications are marked with an asterisk (*) in column 1.  Except for the footer, electronic and printed versions of an authorised republication are identical. 

Republication No	Amendments to	Republication date	
1	Act 1990 No 63	31 July 1991	
2	Act 1993 No 14	31 January 1994	
3	Act 1998 No 54	31 March 1999	

Unauthorised version prepared by ACT Parliamentary Counsel's Office

©  Australian Capital Territory 2002