Head of drugs advice group named
Les Iversen has been appointed as chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
Minister for crime prevention James Brokenshire has also announced nine new members of the independent body.
New appointees are:
- Ms Annette Dale-Perera, strategic director of addiction and offender care, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
- Dr Paul Dargan, consultant physician and clinical toxicologist, Guy鈥檚 and St Thomas鈥� NHS Foundation Trust and Reader in Clinical Toxicology, King鈥檚 College London
- Ms Sarah Graham, director, Sarah Graham Solutions
- Judge Kyrie Ll James, first tier tribunal (immigration and asylum chamber)
- Mr Nigel Kirby, branch head (drugs and firearms), serious and organised crime agency
- Mrs Jo Melling, director, Oxfordshire drug and alcohol action team
- Dr Hans-Christian Raabe, general practitioner, Manchester
- Professor Fabrizio Schifano, chair of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics 聽at the University of Hertfordshire and Consultant Psychiatrist 聽in addictions at Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Dr Harry Sumnall, reader in substance misuse, centre for public health, Liverpool John Moores University
They join Les Iversen, pharmacologist and emeritus professor at the University of Oxford.聽He聽has been the interim chairperson of the ACMD since January 2010.
High quality advice
Mr Brokenshire said he looked forward to working with the new members over the coming years.
He added: 鈥楢s we made clear in the , high quality advice in this field is essential. The ACMD is an integral and valuable part of the government鈥檚 approach to tackling the harms caused by drug misuse.
鈥榃e are committed to ensuring it remains an independent body with a broad, robust skill base, representing expertise in science, enforcement, health and drug treatment, and social policy.
鈥楾he independent advice provided by the ACMD helps to protect us from the real dangers posed by illicit drug use.鈥�
The appointments will be for a period of three years and are unpaid.