Head Shops and Legal Highs Banned in Ireland

Head Shops and Legal Highs Banned in Ireland


Anyone selling a range of highs in so-called headshops faces up to
life behind bars under hard-hitting new laws passed today.The clampdown forced dozens of the high street stores to immediately
close
their doors after a new list of banned substances was published.

The measures, given the green light at Cabinet, follows approval by the
relevant EU authorities.

Health Minister Mary Harney published the revised list with store owners
and
workers threatened with some of the harshest penalties to tackle
illegal
drug use.

"These substances are dangerous and their sale and promotion have caused
huge
anxiety to families and communities throughout the country," said Ms
Harney.

"Their possession and supply are now illegal and subject to criminal
sanction."

Anyone caught selling the drugs - which include cocaine, cannabis and
ecstasy
substitutes - face up up to life imprisonment for unlawful supply.

Anyone caught in possession of the outlawed drugs faces up to seven
years in
jail and/or a fine.

Ms Harney continued: "This means that the reckless, irresponsible people
who
have sold and promoted them must safely dispose of every product
containing
even one of the substances immediately. Otherwise they could face
criminal
prosecution.

"They cannot sell, supply, possess or distribute this stock, with effect
from
the start of today."

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern is also working on proposals to make it
illegal
to sell or supply substances not covered under the revised Misuse of
Drugs
Act but that have psychoactive effects on people.

The list of banned substances - by common name - is:

- Spice products which contain synthetic cannabinoids.

- Benzylpiperazine (BZP) and piperazine derivatives, used as an ecstasy
alternative.

- Amphetamine type drugs mephedrone, methylone methedrone, butylone,
flephedrone, and MDPV

- And GBL and 1,4 BD - popular with clubbers but used legitimately in
the
chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Ms Harney said she was confident gardai, which had vowed to target
so-called
headshops selling illegal highs, will enforce this law rigorously.

"There have been ample reports in Ireland of persons suffering serious
illnesses attributed to using some of these substances, and deaths
have been
reported in other countries, particularly where some of these
substances
were taken with alcohol or other substances," the minister said.

It will now be an offence to import, export, produce, supply or possess
these
substances where they are to be used for the purpose of human
ingestion
except for flavouring in food.

Drugs minister Pat Carey said the measures will send out a clear signal,

especially to young people, about the dangers of psychoactive
substances
sold through headshops.

"The controls constitute a significant measure to tackle the issue of
the
psychoactive substances currently being supplied here in Ireland via
the
internet and through headshops," he said.

"Psychoactive products on sale in Ireland will continue to be monitored
and
any other products with a detrimental health effect will be added to
the
list of controlled substances."