Controlled Substances Act

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is the statute prescribing federal U.S. drug policy under which the manufacture, importation, possession, use and distribution of certain substances is regulated. It was passed by the 91st United States Congress as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 and signed into law by President Richard Nixon. The Act also served as the national implementing legislation for the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

The legislation created five Schedules (classifications), with varying qualifications for a substance to be included in each. Two federal agencies, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration, determine which substances are added to or removed from the various schedules, although the statute passed by Congress created the initial listing. Congress has sometimes scheduled other substances through legislation such as the Hillory J. Farias and Samantha Reid Date-Rape Prevention Act of 2000, which placed gamma hydroxybutyrate in Schedule I. Classification decisions are required to be made on criteria including potential for abuse (an undefined term), currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and international treaties.

Controlled substance

A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, or use is regulated by a government, such as illicitly used drugs or prescription medications that are designated a Controlled Drug.

In the U.S., the DEA is responsible for suppressing illegal drug use and distribution by enforcing the Controlled Substances Act. Some precursor chemicals used for the production of illegal drugs are also controlled substances in many countries, even though they may lack the pharmacological effects of the drugs themselves. Substances are classified according to schedules and consist primarily of potentially psychoactive substances. The controlled substances do not include many prescription items such as antibiotics.

Some states in the U.S. have statutes against health care providers self-prescribing and/or administering substances listed in the Controlled Substance Act schedules. This does not forbid licensed providers from self-prescribing medications not on the schedules.

Drug Enforcement Administration

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States. Not only is the DEA the lead agency for domestic enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, sharing concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it also has sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations abroad.

History and mandate

The Drug Enforcement Administration was established on July 1, 1973, by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1973, signed by President Richard Nixon on July 28. It proposed the creation of a single federal agency to enforce the federal drug laws as well as consolidate and coordinate the government's drug control activities. Congress accepted the proposal, as they were concerned with the growing availability of drugs. As a result, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD), the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE); approximately 600 Special Agents of the Bureau of Customs, Customs Agency Service; and, other federal offices merged to create the DEA.

Enforcement Authority

The Enforcement Authority (Swedish: Kronofogdemyndigheten; literally: The Crown Bailiff Authority) is a government agency handling debt collection, distraint and evictions in Sweden.

Authority

The Enforcement Authority is the only organization in Sweden empowered to withdraw money from bank accounts of debtors and, if necessary, visit the homes and companies of debtors to claim property. The Administration also has the authority to deduct money directly from a debtor's income. It can collect debts to individuals and businesses as well to the government.

Procedures

A person or organisation requiring payment of an outstanding debt submits a claim to the Authority. This is forwarded to the debtor who must respond within 10 days. If there is no response, and it is established that the claim has reached the recipient, the Authority can take possession of money or property from the debtor. If the debt is denied within 10 days, a court must establish the debt. This a fairly short time, and furthermore creditors are more impatient today than earlier years. Someone taking a four week vacation trip, can if they forgotten to pay a bill, find that the Enforcement Authority has withdrawn money from a bank account when they are back. Taxes have a special procedure in that they must be paid within the assigned time even if the debtor considers them to be incorrect. The Authority will claim the money and, if the tax claim is subsequently determined to be incorrect, the money will be refunded. The Authority allows a debtor to keep those necessities required to support themselves and any dependents. A debtor's home can be sold by the Authority.