Page 128 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 17 February 1993
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Anabolic steroids are listed in Schedule 4 of the Poisons and Drugs Act. This means that they can be supplied only on prescription of a doctor, dentist or veterinary surgeon. To sell steroids without a prescription is therefore an offence but to possess anabolic steroids is not. Under ACT law, anabolic steroids are treated in the same way as any other prescription drug. It is not hard to see the untenable position in which this places enforcement agencies. To get any conviction at all, an offender must be caught actually selling the drug. Mere possession of any amount - and I stress that - is not an offence.
This legislation should not be seen as the answer to the problem on its own; punitive laws of this nature will never substitute for education. I hope that what it will do is to discourage those who are considering steroid use, reinforce the extremely dangerous nature of the drugs, and give police, Customs officers, gym owners and others the chance of stemming the growing tide of anabolic steroid abuse. Legislation of this type has been recommended by a wide variety of bodies, including Health Ministers conferences, the Board of Health, police, Customs - just about everybody who has been involved in the growing anabolic steroid abuse problem.
The penalties prescribed in this Bill are a fine of up to $5,000 and/or a gaol sentence of six months for the individual offender. The maximum penalty may seem quite severe, but it is consistent with other sections of the Act, and I believe that it is appropriate for people found with larger amounts of the drug, probably designed for sale. Obviously, if the quantities found are small, so will the penalty be. The $25,000 fine for a body corporate offender is designed to cover the gym, body building club, manufacturer, or others that might be providing steroids to their patrons. These penalties are identical to those in section 47W, possession of poison, in the Poisons and Drugs (Amendment) Bill 1992. That Bill is part of a package of government health Bills which will be debated in this house tomorrow. This is a simple piece of legislation but it is essential if we are to have any real impact on the growing problem of anabolic steroid abuse. I commend the Bill to the house.
Debate (on motion by Mr Berry) adjourned.
ACTON PENINSULA
Debate resumed from 25 November 1992, on motion by Mr Moore:
That this Assembly directs the Government to:
(1) retain the use of the Acton Peninsula site, namely sections 55 and 33, block 5, for a public health facility with rehabilitation, aged care services, convalescent facilities, Queen Elizabeth II home for mothers and babies, a hospice, clinical medical school, community health and related facilities; and
(2) establish a Chair of Community Medicine and a Chair of Rehabilitation and Aged Care as part of a Centre of Excellence in Aged Care on the Acton Peninsula -
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