Vic: Vic govt moves to ban cocaine kits

AAP General News (Australia)
08-02-2005
Vic: Vic govt moves to ban cocaine kits

MELBOURNE, Aug 2 AAP - Cocaine snorting kits will be banned from sale in Victoria.

The Victorian government today said the kits, which package together items that can
be used to take the drug, such as a razor blade, mirror and gold-plated tube, were openly
available for sale for around $50 in central Melbourne tobacco and drug paraphernalia
retailers.

Premier Steve Bracks said planned amendments to the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances
Act would prevent the kits being displayed or sold.

"This government will not condone the sale of items which blatantly promote the use
of illegal drugs," Mr Bracks said.

"We cannot legislate against the separate sale of each individual item in these kits,
but we can prevent these items being marketed as a whole and sold for drug use."

A government spokeswoman said the government had not yet finalised details of the plan
and would draft the legislation with a view to making the changes later in the year.

Mr Bracks said the government was also considering restricting the sale of bongs and
other water pipe instruments to minors.

But the premier did not advocate a blanket ban as he said many people used bongs to
smoke legal substances like tobacco, sometimes mixed with fruit and molasses.

AAP jb/gfr/jt/de

KEYWORD: COCAINE

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