Torbay Council’s Community Safety Team is supporting new legislation on legal highs which came in to force on Thursday 26 May.
The psychoactive substances act will provide a blanket ban on the production, supply and importation of new psychoactive substances. This legislation will fundamentally change the way forces tackle psychoactive substances and will make new drugs that appear on the market illegal quicker than ever before.
Psychoactive substances, formerly known as legal highs, are chemical compounds that often replicate the effects of illegal drugs. People called them legal highs because they were previously sold legally as long as the label said, ‘not for human consumption’. People who use psychoactive substances may have thought that because they were sold legally, this meant they were safe. This is not the case; users can never be certain what they are taking and what the effects might be. There have been several deaths linked to the use of legal highs across the country and life-changing harm being caused to others.
Torbay’s Elected Mayor, Gordon Oliver, said: “Operations have been taking place across the country to raise awareness of changes to the law. Suppliers have been given time to adapt to the new laws and stop the trading of these potentially dangerous drugs. We will be working with police to educate users and potential users about the new law and the risks of taking unknown substances.
“A variety of options exist in enforcing this legislation including prohibition notices, premises notices, prohibition orders and premises orders, which allow police or local authorities to require people to stop stocking, selling or supplying psychoactive substances.“
Officers have been given powers to stop and search people, vehicles and vessels, enter and search premises in accordance with a warrant, and to seize and destroy psychoactive substances.
National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for New Psychoactive Substances, Commander Simon Bray, said:
“This new legislation is a very positive step forward. Police are ready to enforce the new law and tackle the harm caused in communities by the sale and use of drugs. As with all drugs, our approach will be practical, proportionate and based on the individual circumstances.
“Forces are committed to reducing the harm caused by all drugs but we cannot do this alone; prevention, education and health service all have a crucial role to play.
“Police forces, Trading Standards, border forces and other organisations have been working hard to tackle the supply of controlled and non-controlled NPS but a blanket ban on new psychoactive substances will make it simpler to deal with those drugs that are unsafe but may not yet be controlled. It will also make it easier to tackle so called 'legal highs' which may contain mixtures including already illegal drugs.
“We are encouraging the public to let police forces know (eg via Crime Stoppers 0800 555 111) if they believe shops or establishments continue to supply psychoactive substances once the Act commences on 26 May 2016.”
Notes to editors
Illegal drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy will continue to be controlled by the misuse of drugs act.
While the new Act does not criminalise simple possession of psychoactive substances, it will be an offence to possess them within custodial institutions, or anywhere with intent to supply them to another. It is also an offence to import them (eg by buying them from a foreign website).
The psychoactive substances act will provide a blanket ban on the production, supply and importation of new psychoactive substances. This legislation will fundamentally change the way forces tackle psychoactive substances and will make new drugs that appear on the market illegal quicker than ever before.
Psychoactive substances, formerly known as legal highs, are chemical compounds that often replicate the effects of illegal drugs. People called them legal highs because they were previously sold legally as long as the label said, ‘not for human consumption’. People who use psychoactive substances may have thought that because they were sold legally, this meant they were safe. This is not the case; users can never be certain what they are taking and what the effects might be. There have been several deaths linked to the use of legal highs across the country and life-changing harm being caused to others.
Torbay’s Elected Mayor, Gordon Oliver, said: “Operations have been taking place across the country to raise awareness of changes to the law. Suppliers have been given time to adapt to the new laws and stop the trading of these potentially dangerous drugs. We will be working with police to educate users and potential users about the new law and the risks of taking unknown substances.
“A variety of options exist in enforcing this legislation including prohibition notices, premises notices, prohibition orders and premises orders, which allow police or local authorities to require people to stop stocking, selling or supplying psychoactive substances.“
Officers have been given powers to stop and search people, vehicles and vessels, enter and search premises in accordance with a warrant, and to seize and destroy psychoactive substances.
National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for New Psychoactive Substances, Commander Simon Bray, said:
“This new legislation is a very positive step forward. Police are ready to enforce the new law and tackle the harm caused in communities by the sale and use of drugs. As with all drugs, our approach will be practical, proportionate and based on the individual circumstances.
“Forces are committed to reducing the harm caused by all drugs but we cannot do this alone; prevention, education and health service all have a crucial role to play.
“Police forces, Trading Standards, border forces and other organisations have been working hard to tackle the supply of controlled and non-controlled NPS but a blanket ban on new psychoactive substances will make it simpler to deal with those drugs that are unsafe but may not yet be controlled. It will also make it easier to tackle so called 'legal highs' which may contain mixtures including already illegal drugs.
“We are encouraging the public to let police forces know (eg via Crime Stoppers 0800 555 111) if they believe shops or establishments continue to supply psychoactive substances once the Act commences on 26 May 2016.”
Notes to editors
Illegal drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy will continue to be controlled by the misuse of drugs act.
While the new Act does not criminalise simple possession of psychoactive substances, it will be an offence to possess them within custodial institutions, or anywhere with intent to supply them to another. It is also an offence to import them (eg by buying them from a foreign website).
News archive
- October 2024 (4)
- September 2024 (17)
- August 2024 (7)
- July 2024 (24)
- June 2024 (8)
- May 2024 (25)
- April 2024 (19)
- March 2024 (17)
- February 2024 (16)
- January 2024 (14)
- December 2023 (14)
- November 2023 (30)
- October 2023 (21)
- September 2023 (22)
- August 2023 (18)
- July 2023 (17)
- June 2023 (14)
- May 2023 (11)
- April 2023 (9)
- March 2023 (36)
- February 2023 (22)
- January 2023 (26)
- December 2022 (18)
- November 2022 (24)
- October 2022 (18)
- September 2022 (13)
- August 2022 (15)
- July 2022 (22)
- June 2022 (14)
- May 2022 (35)
- April 2022 (23)
- March 2022 (32)
- February 2022 (18)
- January 2022 (14)
- December 2021 (22)
- November 2021 (22)
- October 2021 (25)
- September 2021 (23)
- August 2021 (18)
- July 2021 (26)
- June 2021 (24)
- May 2021 (21)
- April 2021 (21)
- March 2021 (33)
- February 2021 (30)
- January 2021 (27)
- December 2020 (24)
- November 2020 (37)
- October 2020 (29)
- September 2020 (27)
- August 2020 (22)
- July 2020 (37)
- June 2020 (38)
- May 2020 (39)
- April 2020 (36)
- March 2020 (22)
- February 2020 (10)
- January 2020 (18)
- December 2019 (7)
- November 2019 (11)
- October 2019 (15)
- September 2019 (16)
- August 2019 (8)
- July 2019 (9)
- June 2019 (7)
- May 2019 (16)
- April 2019 (11)
- March 2019 (11)
- February 2019 (7)
- January 2019 (11)
- December 2018 (11)
- November 2018 (14)
- October 2018 (14)
- September 2018 (9)
- August 2018 (7)
- July 2018 (19)
- June 2018 (21)
- May 2018 (7)
- April 2018 (10)
- March 2018 (35)
- February 2018 (9)
- January 2018 (15)
- December 2017 (9)
- November 2017 (17)
- October 2017 (11)
- September 2017 (6)
- August 2017 (7)
- July 2017 (13)
- June 2017 (22)
- May 2017 (16)
- April 2017 (8)
- March 2017 (9)
- February 2017 (9)
- January 2017 (4)
- December 2016 (10)
- November 2016 (11)
- October 2016 (14)
- September 2016 (9)
- August 2016 (10)
- July 2016 (11)
- June 2016 (4)
- May 2016 (20)
- April 2016 (14)
- March 2016 (18)
- February 2016 (8)
- January 2016 (15)
- December 2015 (13)
- November 2015 (19)
- October 2015 (17)
- September 2015 (8)
- August 2015 (6)
- July 2015 (19)
- June 2015 (11)
- May 2015 (20)
- April 2015 (14)
- March 2015 (15)
- February 2015 (13)
- January 2015 (17)
- December 2014 (17)
- November 2014 (18)
- October 2014 (14)
- September 2014 (17)
- August 2014 (16)
- July 2014 (10)
- June 2014 (8)
- May 2014 (1)
- February 2014 (1)
- January 0001 (1)