THERE is no such thing as bad publicity, according to the marketing adage.

Sometimes, however, it’s hard to see the silver lining in articles such as the Company magazine posing the question: Is this Britain’s legal drug capital?

Of all the things Guernsey should become synonymous with, drugs – legal or otherwise – is not one of them.

Indeed, given the island’s Draconian stance on drug users and importers, backed up by a deliberately harsh sentencing regime, there is a certain irony in the suggestion that somehow the island is a mecca for people wanting to get high.

Yet the magazine suggests that it is for exactly that reason that (presumably young) islanders are turning to legal highs.

In a backhanded compliment to the effective war being waged by Customs, police and courts on illegal drugs, users are shunning the usual stimulant of choice such as cannabis and Ecstasy.

The cost, in terms of money and potential jail time, is simply too high. That’s got to be good.

But the Home Department and Customs cannot be satisfied with that. The first step of preventing legal highs such as Spice from being imported has been accomplished. It is now vital that an effective ban on their use is brought in as speedily as possible. Partly, that is to mitigate bad publicity such as this article, partly that is to prevent people from damaging their health.

For it is clear from the magazine article that many users believe that the very legality of the drugs implies that they are safe. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The unknown psychoactive elements of drugs such as Spice and the lack of effective controls on their manufacture mean that each user takes a risk each time they attempt to get high.

The safeguards that normally apply to any foodstuff or medicine simply do not apply when the ultimate beneficiaries are shady manufacturers in China or internet dealers with no concept of consumer rights or protection.

The unscrupulous nature of such suppliers, and their willingness to skirt around legislation with phrases such as ‘not for human consumption’, means it might be some time before Guernsey can shake off its unwanted new reputation.