Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs
Encyclopedia
The Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (originally called The Independent Council on Drug Harms (ICDH)) is a UK-based independent drugs advisory committee set up and chaired by Professor David Nutt
. It was officially launched on 15 January 2010 with the help of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. It was created with the primary aim to review and investigate the scientific evidence of drug harms free from political interference.
This follows the controversial sacking of Professor Nutt, on 30 October 2009 as chair of the UK's statutory Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
by UK Home Secretary
, Alan Johnson
.
The controversy followed his Eve Saville Memorial Lecture (2009) at the Centre.
David Nutt
David John Nutt is a British psychiatrist and neuropsychopharmacologist specialising in the research of drugs that affect the brain and conditions such as addiction, anxiety and sleep. He was until 2009 a professor at the University of Bristol heading their Psychopharmacology Unit...
. It was officially launched on 15 January 2010 with the help of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. It was created with the primary aim to review and investigate the scientific evidence of drug harms free from political interference.
This follows the controversial sacking of Professor Nutt, on 30 October 2009 as chair of the UK's statutory Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is a statutory and non-executive non-departmental British public body, which was established under the UK's Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.-Mandate:Its terms of reference, according to the Act, are as follows:...
by UK Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, Alan Johnson
Alan Johnson
Alan Arthur Johnson is a British Labour Party politician who served as Home Secretary from June 2009 to May 2010. Before that, he filled a wide variety of cabinet positions in both the Blair and Brown governments, including Health Secretary and Education Secretary. Until 20 January 2011 he was...
.
The controversy followed his Eve Saville Memorial Lecture (2009) at the Centre.
External links
- Sacked scientist promises impartial drugs advice-The New ScientistNew ScientistNew Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
, January 2010. - Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs Homepage