Danger drugs that give a legal high can be outlawed without delay under rules introduced yesterday. It had previously taken months to ban new substances – allowing drug dealers to stay a step ahead of police. Now ministers will impose a year’s ban immediately while scientists assess which category a new drug belongs to. Delays in banning mephedrone have been linked to a staggering 98 deaths on the dance scene over the past two years. Last year 41 new and dangerous substances were identified by watchdogs – many of which fell outside existing drugs laws. Drug experts liken taking so-called legal highs to Russian roulette because users have little idea what they are being exposed to. Home Office minister Lord Henley said: ‘The UK is leading the way in cracking down on legal highs by outlawing not just individual drugs, but whole families of related substances that have the potential to cause harm.
‘The temporary control power will allow government to respond quickly and effectively to the changing threat posed by drugs and in particular the menace of so-called legal highs.’
Wolfgang Gotz, of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, said the drugs market was very quick to adapt. ‘This is reflected, not only in the sheer number of new substances appearing on the market, but also in their diversity and in how they are produced, distributed and marketed,’ he added.‘ We need a proactive strategy that allows us to rapidly identify new drugs and emerging trends so we can anticipate their potential implications. ‘We also need to co-ordinate our responses across Europe as, without doing so, individual national efforts are likely to prove ineffective. These two factors are crucial if we are to stay ahead in this game of cat and mouse.’
The agency said that the UK – for the second year running – was the cocaine capital of Europe. One in 20 Britons is estimated to take it.
