‘Banning legal highs would shift problem – not solve it’
Saturday 31st October 2009, 2:29PM GMT.
BANNING legal highs would simply shift the cost from Health to the criminal justice system, according to the manager of Drug Concern.
Tracey Rear said it would be interesting to see how a ban would impact on younger legal high users, but it would not necessarily be the answer to the problem in Guernsey.
‘I think we certainly need to have a responsible, coordinated approach to the problem on the island,’ she said.
‘If a ban reduced the number of young people trying legal highs, then it can only be a good thing, but then there would be different issues to deal with.
‘If there was a ban, then they would be made criminals and would have to go through the criminal justice system.
‘Before anyone makes a decision it should be looked at carefully.’
Earlier this week, Health and Social Services minister Hunter Adam revealed that the department had spent £400,000 on sending young people hooked on legal substances to the UK for treatment.
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Tracey Rear has overlooked the possibility of banning these substances without making it a crime. As a for instance it’s against the law to drop litter which incures a fine but is not a crime.
However if such a ban was introduced the act of supply for monetary gain should become a criminal offence.
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The ban must be a god send to the drug dealers. The increase in these legal highs over the last few months has anecdotally seen the supply and demand of the illegal drugs decrease. Now these people can make money out of the ‘legal’ stuff too. They can obtain it legally in the UK, smuggle it over to Guernsey (lets face it, it happens and customs can’t stop everyone), use dangerous cutting agents to make even more money then sell it on. At least buying it direct from these websites, the ingredients were consistant.
Well done Guernsey customs, you’ve just given the power back to the drug dealers!
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The ban comes into force on the 7th November but Guernsey Customs are already confiscating from people who had made orders from the internet last week and they wont be giving them back if you ask for them.
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BuryHeadSand
Where have you found out that the ban comes in on 7th Nov?
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What ban? And what is banned?
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http://www.islandfm.com/news/index.php
PERSONAL LEGAL HIGH IMPORT BAN KICKS IN THIS WEEKEND
The Head of Guernsey Customs says a ban covering all importations of legal highs had to happen sooner rather than later.
It’s been announced today, a ban covering even personal amounts will come into effect the 7th.
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Its all over local news I’m afraid guys, “all legal highs”, not sure how customs can do it myself (being that there are so many different kinds of “legal highs”) but they have, end of… I know of plenty of people who enjoyed them and didn’t have a problem, just a few idiots spoiling it for everyone else as usual.
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Very interesting. I like how it was not announced, giving no one the opportunity to ‘stock-up’.
Party over…
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Apparently customs are still processing packages of legal highs they’ve intercepted recently. What’s the betting that it will take them until Monday to process them when suddenly they become illagal? Very sneaky….
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If persy possession isn’t illegal, only the importation after 7/11, then they can’t get you for that, surely, what with the post dates n all.
I’m not sure the same authority that lets them stop imports applies to the law on possession. But hey, what do i know?
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Seagull, i’m guessing you can take customs to court to force them to hand over the items. Or sue them!
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OK, so the list of banned stuff is out.
Time to hit the internet to find new chemicals not covered by the revised law.
Hope everyone is prepared for a few violent months in Town as everyone goes back on Guernsey’s favourite drug.
Yay! Binge drinking is back. Just in time for Christmas too!
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It’s pretty obvious though that once the importation ban comes in any dealers in the island will switch from illegals to legals as the penalties aren’t going to be as severe. We don’t know what the penalties will be for importation, but we know possession will be legal, so importation penalties will be minor.
Problem is, the dealers will cut the product to make more cash, using all sorts of nasty thing as the cut, making it more dangerous for the user.
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Has anyone wondered why the Press did not cover the imminent ban in today’s paper, considering how much coverage there has been in recent weeks?
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MrsPin
Where list be?
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Great news everyone!!!
Word from the labs in the Far East is that the 2010 product will contain, to quote the Taiwanese Department of Health “a wider variety and stronger doses of dangerous toxic elements” and under current legislation, it’s all completely legal!!
In the meantime, does anyone know whether it’s just Spice that has been banned or have BZP and GBL been banned too?
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@Student Bob
That really is fantastic news, thanks.
BZP is already banned and has been for a while. Not sure about anything else, I am waiting for the list.
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Student Bob
BZP has been banned in Guernsey for quite some time. I have no ideal about GBL (although that is going to be banned in the UK on 23rd Dec).
I think in Guernsey it is just a straight forward blanket ban on the importation of legal highs, although what this includes and the penalties are completely unknown. And possession is still legal, so I can’t see how that fits with a ban on importation. It’s very unlike Guernsey to introduce something on a whim with no thoughts to the future…..
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JLS, personally, I like to get a heads-up from psychopharmacology journals. Men in white coats are currently warning against the MDMA analogues like methylenedioxymethcathinone (shpelling?) and 2C-T-21 which you can probably order online from Dutch smartshops. I know 2C-T is not classified as a medicine so commercial and/or personal importation shouldn’t be an issue.
Of course, we’ve already had one death in the US directly attributed to 2C-T so go easy!! But, you know, this is what happens when Customs/the GP/politicians start banning stuff without considering the consequences.
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squak!
glue and nutmeg for the children now.
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I so agree with all your comments. It is just those few (£400K worth) who has spoilt it for everyone! I just wonder what Heading their problems have gone under in the past? And now the ‘Legal Highs’ won’t be available I just wonder what are they going to blame it on now! Are well hasn’t moved on, it looks like its back to all the drunks fighting around town again!! Oh what fun it is to go out…
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Student Bob, I’m guessing Guernsey customs will still classify 2C-T as a legal high and thus ban importation of it. It would be nice if they published an actual list of prohibited compounds, rather than just the vague heading of “legal highs”.
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It seems that Customs have been given the power to decide what they consider to be a ‘legal high’. Therefore could they technically ban granny from visiting at Christmas if they consider her to be a ‘legal high’?
See my point?
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Studio Line Bob
Stu-stu-stu-stu-studio line. From l’Oreal. Because you’re worth it.
M1 and B1, and mieow should never have got the market like this. When i was a wee thing my labber mates were talking about the synthesis of analogue imposters to mdma.
The crime really is that, some of these compounds, especially methylone (m1), are powerful entactogens.
Psychiatric treatment cries out for something that makes one feel connected to others. SSRIs are a myth, making the world believe that black dog is purely a function of serotonin take up.
but leaving it in the hands of the foolish and uneducated?
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The definitions of what consitutes the newly banned substances are on http://www.gov.gg. May I ask, were the Press complicit in refusing to divulge in advance, the details of these substances? I imagine that had marmite been banned with no notice there would have been some outcry!
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Agree with Deans comments – it’s all very strange the GP has been ever so quiet about the actual date the ban comes in and a list of all that is considered legal highs.
It’s funny isn’t it how there are so so many more, much bigger and much more urgent problems in Guernsey to sort out, but legal highs, even though they are doing absolutely no damage to anyone else, go right to the top of their list!
Nearly every comment on these legal high articles (bar a few) seems to be pro legal high, even you folk that haven’t tried and will never tried them, you understand that people should have the right to choose, and especially when they are of no harm to anyone else and if anything keep the youngsters out of trouble! why cant a single member of the Guernsey Government see like the public do? after all this is supposed to be a democracy isn’t it?
Could someone clear up for me exactly what is illegal and what isn’t as they don’t seem to want to tell the public that. Importation is illegal, but possession is legal? So if you bring in one bag from the UK that is legal? or if you order one bag from the internet that legal?
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Checked the link, Grandma is safe.
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Nat
I understand that legal representation is available for everyone wishing to appeal for the return of their goods that are being held illegally by customs. The Advocate is willing to represent everyone as a whole and is prepared to take customs to Royal Court if necessary. This is a free service provided the applicant is purchasing for personal use and is older than 18.
Seek and ye shall find.
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Student Bob
Spice (or compounds in spice) BZP and GBL are being looked at for banning by the British Government around about Christmas. At the moment they are not illegal substances.
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Anon, thanks for the tip. I think I have a good idea of which advocate is involved.
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They should not be able to confiscate anything that isn’t illegal. How do we know they’re not selling the stuff on?
Police state. Get the lawyers in.
Squak!
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Anon
Thats great news about advocate representing the public for goods confiscated by customs, someone who isn’t me phoned up and was told “you can try and take us to court but you wont get it back.”
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Customs have no right what so ever to be confiscating personal quantaties of legal highs up until today. They are only able to work with in the law! They are jus making it difficult in the hope we will give up. There are several advocates on the case at the moment and at least one will be representing any one who has had their goods unlawfully siezed. It is an absolute disgrace the way they have delt with it. A large number of siezed products have ended up back on the street and what ever happened to the thousands of pounds that they lost from their safe? This time we will not let it go, customs have broken several laws by confiscating these packages and will face the consequenses, they are not dealing with kids now but a large well connected group of intelligent adults.
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For thousands and thousands of years man has smoked various plants. Cannabis was found to have a great following then along come our bundling governments and ban it mainly so that prescription drugs didnt have as much competition.
Its obvious to everyone except these thieving MPs who are busy spending everyones public money that cannabis is about 100x safer than alcohol a legal drug which kills thousands per day.
because we cant have the real thing we move to legal alternatives, which are inferior in my opinion.
Why not just make canabis legal in fact make it all legal its a ridiculous situation at the momement but with stupid ministers who are only looking more more money for there moats and flat screen tvs
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@ Honest- guernsey
WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO that was a great post come on gurns stand up and fight . even though i have had nothin siezed yet for the ones that have give em S***T guys !!!!! its discusting what the states and customs have done. we should all rebell against this farce of a government …..
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