UK - Home Office rules out licensing of 'legal highs' shops

[theatarisfan]

Home Office rules out licensing of 'legal highs'

The Home Office has said it has no intention of licensing shops that sell so-called "legal highs" after a minister appeared to float the idea.

Lib Dem Norman Baker was quoted by the Times as suggesting such outlets could be treated like sex shops with their windows blacked out and under-18s barred to show they weren't "harmless".

Home Office sources said his comments had been taken out of context.

Mr Baker told BBC News he would not comment further on the issue.

The latest official UK figures show 68 deaths were linked to legal highs in 2012, up from 10 in 2009.

The government has imposed bans on more than 250 substances, officially known as "new psychoactive substances", which are marketed at young people and presented in bright


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26383774

 

[Si Dread]

His comments were not taken out of context & in fact are amongst the most intelligent & forward thinking I've heard from government in many, many years.

Legislating Head Shops & the products they sell, regulating the manufacture & supply of these materials & testing them properly before they come to market, by professionals (not just by vendors) would render pretty much every single Legal High & Research Chemical considerably safer to use. Not doing so leaves the entire business unregulated, harmful & in some cases potentially deadly.