Fears over mephedrone stockpiling

Drugs experts liken mephedrone to amphetamines

Legal drug mephedrone could be banned within weeks, the Northern Ireland Health Committee has been told.

At an urgent session tabled by the Committee a drugs official told members that the issue is being regarded by the government as high priority.

The committee chair, Jim Wells, said he was concerned that the general election could delay a ban.

Mr Wells said the longer it took the greater opportunity people had to buy the drug legally.

"If it's delayed there's quite a lot of evidence of people buying large quantities of this particular potion because they are expecting a ban," he said.

"They're buying it cheaply, stockpiling it and will sell it on the black market when the ban comes in.

"The longer period you give for that the more stockpiling will occur."

Health Department legislative expert Linda Devlin assured Mr Wells a ban could be enacted rapidly even with an election campaign.

"The process would be that a draft order in council would be laid before both houses of parliament so it would have to go through the House of Commons and House of Lords," she explained.

"But even if a general election were to be called today or tomorrow the convention is that there will be a few days, there's a always a few days that urgent business can be taken through.

"So it shouldn't be impossible to have action taken very quickly."

Speaking following the meeting in Stormont Castle on Thursday, First Minister Peter Robinson, and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said the executive were calling for an immediate ban on the drug.

MEPHEDRONE FACTS Recreational drug with effects similar to amphetamines and ecstasy Sold as a white powder, also found in capsules and pills or can be dissolved in a liquid Often sold online as plant food marked "not for human consumption" Completely different drug to methadone, which is a pharmaceutical drug typically used as a very strong painkiller or to treat heroin addicts Reported side-effects include headaches, palpitations, nausea, cold or blue fingers Long-term effects of taking drug unknown Currently legal to buy and be in possession of the powder, but against the law to sell, supply or advertise the powder for human consumption under the Medicines Act Already illegal in Israel, Denmark, Norway and Sweden How has drug affected users? What is legal high mephedrone? Indecision over mephedrone Parents call for drug ban

"Anyone who has listened to the heart-rending stories of parents whose children have suffered the tragic consequences attached to the abuse of this so called 'legal high', cannot fail to have been touched by what they heard.

"We will be writing immediately to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to make clear to them, in the strongest possible terms, of our concern in relation to this issue.

"As ministers and indeed as parents and grandparents ourselves, we are committed to doing all in our power to educate and protect our young people from the pernicious evil of drugs in whatever form they take."

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has said he will take immediate action to outlaw the substance if his medical experts recommend the move next Monday.

The responsibility for outlawing and classifying drugs rests with Whitehall and will remain there even when law and order powers are devolved to Northern Ireland next month.

The ACMD will make a recommendation to the Government on Monday, with indications that it will advise that mephedrone is made a Class B drug.

The substance, known by names such as Mcat, meow and bubbles, is available over the counter in "head shops" across the UK.

Public fears about the drug have intensified since the death of two teenage friends in England last week.

Louis Wainwright, 18, and Nicholas Smith, 19, died in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, after taking a cocktail of substances including mephedrone, heroin substitute methadone and alcohol.

In Northern Ireland a number of recent suicides have been reportedly linked to depression caused by misuse of mephedrone.

However the legal high has not been definitively established as a cause of death.

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