
1 

(1) This Order may be cited as the Medicines for Human Use (Kava-kava) (Prohibition) Order 2002 and shall come into force on 13th January 2003.
(2) In this Order—
 “the Act” means the Medicines Act 1968;
 “EEA Agreement” means the Agreement on the European Economic Area signed at Oporto on 2nd May 1992 as adjusted by the Protocol signed at Brussels on 17th March 1993;
 “EEA State” means a State which is a Contracting Party to the EEA Agreement;
 “external use” means application to the skin, hair, teeth, mucosa of the mouth, throat, nose, ear, eye, vagina or anal canal when a local action only is intended and extensive systemic absorption is unlikely to occur, and references to medicinal products being “for external use” shall be read accordingly—except that such references shall not include throat sprays, throat pastilles, throat lozenges, throat tablets, nasal drops, nasal sprays, nasal inhalations or teething preparations;
 “free circulation in member States” has the same meaning as in Article 23.2, as read with Article 24, of the Treaty establishing the European Community; and
 “medicinal product” does not include a medicinal product which is a veterinary drug.
2 
Subject to article 3 below, the sale, supply or importation of any medicinal product consisting of or containing—
(a) a plant belonging to the species Piper methysticum (known as Kava-kava); or
(b) an extract from such a plant,is prohibited.
3 
The prohibition imposed by article 2 above shall not apply where the medicinal product is—
(a) for external use only;
(b) sold or supplied to, or is imported by or on behalf of, any of the following persons—
(i) an authorised officer within the meaning of section 5(6) of the Food Safety Act 1990 or Article 2(2) of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991,
(ii) a food analyst or food examiner within the meaning of section 30 of the Food Safety Act 1990 or Article 30 or 31 of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991,
(iii) a person duly authorised by an enforcement authority under sections 111 and 112 of the Act, or
(iv) a sampling officer within the meaning of Schedule 3 to the Act;
(c) imported from an EEA State, if the product—
(i) originates in an EEA State, or
(ii) originates outside the European Economic Area, but is in free circulation in member States,
and is being, or is to be, exported to an EEA State other than the United Kingdom; or
(d) the subject of—
(i) a product licence,
(ii) a marketing authorization within the meaning given in regulation 1(4)(a) of the Medicines for Human Use (Marketing Authorisation Etc.) Regulations 1994, or
(iii) a certificate of registration within the meaning given in regulation 1(2) of the Medicines (Homoeopathic Medicinal Products for Human Use) Regulations 1994.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Health
Hunt
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,
Department of Health
18th December 2002Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
D. C. Gowdy
Permanent Secretary,
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
18th December 2002