Blanket ban on 'Legal highs' enforced today.

What seems to me to be a ridiculous idea showing just how stupid the government is, they put a blanket ban on all so called legal highs. I say all but it seems they're not including alcohol.

Have they learned nothing? We know it will do nothing for harm reduction, at least buying from a shop you'd know what you were buying and get advice how to use it safely and what to expect. It created jobs and revenue which will now be driven underground, kids that way inclined will likely use far more dangerous substances to get their kicks. It makes no sense.

What seems to me to be a ridiculous idea showing just how stupid the government is, they put a blanket ban on all so called legal highs. I say all but it seems they're not including alcohol.

Have they learned nothing? We know it will do nothing for harm reduction, at least buying from a shop you'd know what you were buying and get advice how to use it safely and what to expect. It created jobs and revenue which will now be driven underground, kids that way inclined will likely use far more dangerous substances to get their kicks. It makes no sense.

We could boost the economy by making guns legal and selling them in shops along with advice on how to use them safely.

We could boost the economy by making guns legal and selling them in shops along with advice on how to use them safely.

Aren't guns already 'legal'?...They're just 'controlled'.

We could boost the economy by making guns legal and selling them in shops along with advice on how to use them safely.

Not sure that's a good analogy. Anyway my concern isn't with the economy, it is with the harm it will cause.

Aren't guns already 'legal'?...They're just 'controlled'.

Some are controlled and some are prohibited.

---------- Post added 26-05-2016 at 09:44 ----------

Not sure that's a good analogy. Anyway my concern isn't with the economy, it is with the harm it will cause.

Its already causing harm, the new laws should restrict its availability so result in less harm.

What seems to me to be a ridiculous idea showing just how stupid the government is, they put a blanket ban on all so called legal highs. I say all but it seems they're not including alcohol.

Have they learned nothing? We know it will do nothing for harm reduction, at least buying from a shop you'd know what you were buying and get advice how to use it safely and what to expect. It created jobs and revenue which will now be driven underground, kids that way inclined will likely use far more dangerous substances to get their kicks. It makes no sense.

Except in many cases they arent sold as "legal highs", they are sold under various pretences such as "plant food" with small warnings saying "not for human consumption", and nobody can advise on effects as there are far too many variables

We could boost the economy by making guns legal and selling them in shops along with advice on how to use them safely.

We already do. That's the reason I hold a couple of dozen in my house....

It's perfectly legal to buy a firearm. What's not legal is to possess certain firearms without a certificate.

---------- Post added 26-05-2016 at 09:48 ----------

What seems to me to be a ridiculous idea showing just how stupid the government is, they put a blanket ban on all so called legal highs. I say all but it seems they're not including alcohol.

Have they learned nothing? We know it will do nothing for harm reduction, at least buying from a shop you'd know what you were buying and get advice how to use it safely and what to expect. It created jobs and revenue which will now be driven underground, kids that way inclined will likely use far more dangerous substances to get their kicks. It makes no sense.

They also exempted caffeine from it as well. Wonder if they remembered to do the same with nicotine...?

Or for that matter scopolamine - if they ban anti nausea like that lots of people will be upset...

Some are controlled and some are prohibited.

 

---------- Post added 26-05-2016 at 09:44 ----------

 

 

Its already causing harm, the new laws should restrict its availability so result in less harm.

But it doesn't work like that. Time has shown.

I'm not familiar with what is available these days but some I know are far safer than heroin, sniffing glue or lighter gas, or drinking alcohol. Have you seen how many people die each year from taking prescribed medication?

Then look at how many have died from smoking cannabis, or more on topic Salvia divinoram? (That's one I have tried before, and now illegal under this ban)

---------- Post added 26-05-2016 at 09:51 ----------

Except in many cases they arent sold as "legal highs", they are sold under various pretences such as "plant food" with small warnings saying "not for human consumption", and nobody can advise on effects as there are far too many variables

You raise a good point there, that only further shows how stupid the law makers are.

For example when I purchased Salvia online, it came with a sticker on saying not for human consumption. Wouldn't it have made more sense to make it law that it came with information and advice on taking it. It was the law that forced sellers to sell some substances under the guise of being plant food etc.

And there aren't that many effects or harms these things can do to put on a list similar to what you'd get with a prescription medicine.

We already do. That's the reason I hold a couple of dozen in my house....

 

It's perfectly legal to buy a firearm. What's not legal is to possess certain firearms without a certificate.

I think you probably knew what I meant but I will reword my post to make it clearer.

We could boost the economy by making all guns legal and removing all restrictions on gun ownership.

---------- Post added 26-05-2016 at 11:53 ----------

But it doesn't work like that. Time has shown.

I'm not familiar with what is available these days but some I know are far safer than heroin, sniffing glue or lighter gas, or drinking alcohol. Have you seen how many people die each year from taking prescribed medication?

 

Then look at how many have died from smoking cannabis, or more on topic Salvia divinoram? (That's one I have tried before, and now illegal under this ban)

Yep and that's a good argument for restricting their availability.

Some are controlled and some are prohibited.

 

---------- Post added 26-05-2016 at 09:44 ----------

 

 

Its already causing harm, the new laws should restrict its availability so result in less harm.

Because if history has taught us anything, it's that prohibition works really well to reduce harm.

Oh, wait, I mean the other thing. It fails spectacularly to reduce harm.

---------- Post added 26-05-2016 at 12:00 ----------

I think you probably knew what I meant but I will reword my post to make it clearer.

 

 

We could boost the economy by making all guns legal and removing all restrictions on gun ownership.

Do you actually believe that legal highs are threat to anyone other than the person who buys and consumes them? Is that why you've chosen such an apt analogy of a firearm?

We could boost the economy by making all guns legal and removing all restrictions on gun ownership.

How much VAT to the Exchequer on that lot, do you reckon?

What seems to me to be a ridiculous idea showing just how stupid the government is, they put a blanket ban on all so called legal highs. I say all but it seems they're not including alcohol.

Have they learned nothing? We know it will do nothing for harm reduction, at least buying from a shop you'd know what you were buying and get advice how to use it safely and what to expect. It created jobs and revenue which will now be driven underground, kids that way inclined will likely use far more dangerous substances to get their kicks. It makes no sense.

How do you go about banning legal highs? Does that mean we can no longer buy paint, glue, solvents etc?

Do you have a link for this story?