Uk - Government's drug watchdog urges a ban on 'legal highs' marketed as alternatives

[edgarshade]

Independent

Nigel Morris
Thursday 18 October 2012

With reader comments

he Government’s drug watchdog today urged ministers to ban a series of “legal highs” that are marketed as safe alternatives to cannabis and ketamine.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) warned that a variety of synthetic versions of cannabis on sale online could cause serious side-effects including heightened heart rate, panic attacks and convulsions.

They are sold under such brand names as Annihilation, Black Mamba, Soulman, XoXo and Love.

It called for them to be classified as alongside cannabis as Class B substances.

Prof Les Iversen, the ACMD’s chairman, said: “Like many so-called ‘legal highs’, substances such as Annihilation can cause serious damage to your health.

“People using these substances are experimenting on themselves without knowing what the long-term effects could be.”

The ACMD first recommended generic controls on cannabis substitutes such as Spice in 2009 after it concluded they were likely to cause similar harms to cannabis itself.

The council also recommended banning methoxetamine, a synthetic alternative to ketamine, the powerful tranquiliser used on animals but which has rapidly gained popularity as a drug. It is a Class C substance.

Methoxetamine, which is known by names including Mexxy and MXE, is marketed as a ‘safe’ alternative to ketamine. The ACMD said it should become a Class B drug.

Prof Iversen said: “Methoxetamine is not a ‘safe’ alternative to ketamine as it is sometimes advertised. It is a dangerous and harmful drug which can cause heart problems, hallucinations and paranoia.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...natives-to-cannabis-and-ketamine-8216495.html

 

[edgarshade]

With regards to MXE.

It is a dangerous and harmful drug which can cause heart problems, hallucinations and paranoia.

Where's the proof??? Three people drown while trying to swim on it and there is only one case of really high blood pressure from someone who injected the stuff. There is no evidence they didn't have high blood pressure at the best of times, a lot of people do.

 

[szuko000]

I always laugh at how these articles focus on the negitive side effects of drugs, " users experience seizures high blood pressure and death" like there's no benefits and people who use drugs only experience uncomfortable symptoms. There's a lot more going on then that. Then they always use the token, similar to LSD for stuff that's not even remotely like it. The sad part is I know the general population believes this as they don't get information on drugs other then from propaganda articles.

 

[edgarshade]

Just the type of headline to make the 'ol blood boil first thing in the morning.

The Scotsman

With reader comments

Call to jail ‘mexxy’ users for five years

Clubbers who use the “dangerous” drug mexxy should face up to five years in jail, the Government’s advisers have said.

Methoxetamine, which is sold as an alternative to ketamine and has been linked to two deaths, should be made a class B drug, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) said.

It follows concerns that two people whose bodies were found in Leicestershire in February may have taken some form of the drug after buying it over the internet. The substance, the first to be placed under a temporary class drug order, was banned in March while the advisers considered whether it should be permanently controlled. Professor Les Iversen, the ACMD’s chairman, said: “Methoxetamine is not a ‘safe’ alternative to ketamine as it is sometimes advertised. It is a dangerous and harmful drug.”

http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/call-to-jail-mexxy-users-for-five-years-1-2587611

 

[Crankinit]

Ohhh, two people died? Wonder how many died from liver failure and alcohol poisoning and drunk driving and drunken violence in the same time period?

 

[pete+carl]

It is a dangerous and harmful drug which can cause heart problems, hallucinations and paranoia.

i love how every legal high that comes out is listed as having the same side effects regardless of truth
its almost as though the journalists cannot be trusted