Overview and Purpose
The Poisons Act 1971 (Tas) is Tasmania's principal statute governing the manufacture, sale, supply, possession and use of scheduled poisons, restricted substances, narcotic substances, prohibited plants and new drugs. Enacted in 1971 and substantially amended on numerous occasions since, the Act establishes a licensing and regulatory framework that operates in conjunction with the nationally agreed Uniform Standard (commonly known as the Poisons Standard), which classifies substances according to their risk profile and the conditions under which they may be supplied.
Tasmania occupies a distinctive position within this national framework: it is one of the world's largest legal producers of opiate raw materials, with licensed cultivation of alkaloid poppies (principally Papaver somniferum) supplying pharmaceutical manufacturers globally. The Act's poppy regulatory provisions therefore carry significant economic and public health weight beyond the State's borders.