Res 0094-2014

By Council Member Gentile Whereas, Controlled substance analogues, or synthetic drugs, are chemical compounds which are designed to mimic the chemical structure or predictive effect on the body of a schedule I or II controlled substance, and which have the potential for abuse; and Whereas, The manufacturing, trafficking and use of synthetic drugs is a growing problem across the United States, as evidenced by two recent federal enforcement operations which resulted in the seizure of over $93 million in assets and over 10 tons of synthetic drugs from controlled synthetic drugs and traffickers; and Whereas, Synthetic drugs, while sometimes marketed as a "legal high" containing natural products, can have dangerous side effects according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse; and Whereas, The American Association of Poison Control Centers estimated that poison centers received roughly 5,230 calls relating to exposure to synthetic marijuana in 2012; and Whereas, However, manufacturers and traffickers of synthetic drugs are sometimes able to circumvent federal law by altering the chemical structure of the products they manufacture; and Whereas, S.1323, sponsored by Senator Diane Feinstein, would establish the Protecting Our Youth From Dangerous Synthetic Drugs Act of 2013, and create an interagency Controlled Substance Analogue Committee, headed by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and would task this Committee with creating and maintaining a list of synthetic drugs; and Whereas, S.1323 would also make it illegal to import synthetic drugs for human use in the United States; and Whereas, S.1323 would also direct the United States Sentencing Commission to review and, if necessary, amend sentencing guidelines, to ensure that manufacturers and traffickers of synthetic drugs face appropriate penalties; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States Congress to pass, and the President to sign, the Protecting Our Youth From Dangerous Synthetic Drugs Act of 2013, which would create a Controlled Substance Analogue Committee to maintain a list of dangerous controlled substances, and would direct the United States Sentencing Commission to ensure adequate penalties for the manufacturing or trafficking of dangerous synthetic drugs. PD 1/28/14 Res. No. 1267/2012 LS#147/2014 2