Legal Highs which are classified as new psychoactive substances (NPS) such as Pink Panthers, Herbal Haze and Exodus Damnation will be banned soon in borough shops in Solihull.
Police and Trading Standards officers made rounds in more than 20 shops in Solihull to warn shops selling legal highs. A new criminal law that will take effect in April will prohibit selling of the substances that are believed to have mild physical and mental side effects and even leading to death. Shops that will sell legal highs after the April implementation will face both criminal and civil courts, according to Solihull Observer. In 2015, 60 people died after taking the toxic substances.
"There is a growing amount of evidence that new psychoactive substances -or legal highs - are causing considerable harm to young and vulnerable people in the region," Chief Inspector Simon Inglis, WMP force said.
In a separate report of West Midlands Police, Trading Standards Officials and local officers confiscated 298 legal highs in the region. They visited 70 shops all across West Midlands on Thursday, Jan.21. The team claimed that 51 stores were selling the products. The visit is part of the police effort to raise awareness on the new law; and to remind the sellers and the users of the dangers of the drugs. In Wolverhampton, 40 substances were sequestered while 228 NPS packets were collected in Walsall.
"Too many people have suffered significant harm up and down the country for us as a region to wait for it to occur here," Inglis added. "This is just the start of this journey with these substances and we will continue to tackle those who manufacture and offer these products for sale once the change in law comes into effect.
As BBC reports, legal highs are not covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 because of its altered chemical content. The composition of legal highs is changed to avoid being banned. NPS copies the effect of illegal substances, but are not yet classified as illegal. At present, the substances are prohibited under the medicine law to supply, sell or advertise for human consumption. Under the law, drug-driving and using legal high is also not allowed.
Legal highs will be fully prohibited in April and anyone seen selling them on shops will be punished under the new law.
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