{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/drugs-act-2005/section-19",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/drugs-act-2005/section-19.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2005/17",
  "legislation_title": "Drugs Act 2005",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/drugs-act-2005",
  "path": "section/19",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "19",
  "heading": "Interpretation",
  "text": "(1) This section applies for the purposes of this Part.\n(2) “Class A drug” and “misuse” have the same meanings as in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (c. 38).\n(3) “Specified”, in relation to a Class A drug, has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 (c. 43).\n(4) “Initial assessment” and “initial assessor” must be construed in accordance with section 9(3).\n(5) “Follow-up assessment” and “follow-up assessor” must be construed in accordance with section 10(3).\n(6) “Suitably qualified person” means a person who has such qualifications or experience as are from time to time specified by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this Part.\n(7) Police support officer” means—\n(a) persons appointed by a chief constable under paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (civilian staff of police forces outside London), and\n(b) persons appointed by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis under paragraph 1 of Schedule 4 to that Act (civilian staff of metropolitan police force).\n(8) “PACE” means the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (c. 60).",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 19(7) substituted (16.1.2012) by Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13), s. 157(1), Sch. 16 para. 340; S.I. 2011/3019, art. 3, Sch. 1 (with Sch. 2 para. 77)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 19 in force at 1.12.2005 by S.I. 2005/3053, art. 2(1)(e)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2026/20",
      "affecting_title": "Crime and Policing Act 2026"
    },
    {
      "type": "words inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/2026/20",
      "affecting_title": "Crime and Policing Act 2026"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/17/section/19",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:15:52.333872+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}