Ban positive but core group still on former ‘legal’ mephedrone
Wednesday 26th May 2010, 2:29PM BST.
A CORE group of islanders who use mephedrone still exists, according to Drug Concern.
The Guernsey Border Agency said on Monday that figures proved the recent ban, which made mephedrone a controlled drug in April, was working.
However, Drug Concern manager Tracey Rear (pictured) said if the drug was not available, users would resort to using other substances instead.
Nevertheless, she considered the ban on mephedrone and chemicals within the same category to be positive. ‘It sent out a clear message that substances such as these held multiple risks when used for human consumption.’
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Tracey Rear tells the truth at least. People will have gone from using Mephedrone which was pretty much guaranteed to be pure when it was still legal, to street drugs which could be heavily adulterated with anything the dealers have to hand. If those same users unknowingly come across a street drug of much higher purity than normal, the chance of overdose is extremely high.
People will continue to use drugs regardless of legality, and in many cases the illegality makes drugs a lot more dangerous! Take a look back to Alcohol prohibition in the USA in the 1920′s for a shining example!
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Usage of other drugs has gone up and even better for me the pot has come back in the island although it is triple the price it used to be before all the legal highs arrived on the island. But making this form of euphoric drug harder to get by making it illegal has backfired in my opinion as now we have a new one on the market called NRG 1 . No matter what the laws are people (including me ) want to take these substances and if the law makers out there think that making it all illegal is going to stop it thay will have to think again, as its not working its just pushing it under ground and its being cut with alsorts cause the dealers want as much money as they can get 60 pound a gram powders are goinng for at the moment and its liky to rise even further. people in all walks of life do these substances all over the island its just a shame that some people are so closed minded that thay think its just kids/yobs who do them !!!
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I don’t support drug use but I do see the point that both joby and Chris M make here. People that take drugs will take drugs. Ban one drug, another will take it’s place.
Perhaps there is a case for less draconian legislation. What worries me isn’t when people have the odd fix or few pints of lager, it’s when people use them so much they become dependent.
Perhaps a change of tack is needed here, where instead of slamming down on the guy puffing the odd bong, we invest time, money and effort getting to the root of why people are so unhappy with life that they have to wreck their health and minds getting hooked on substances, illegal or legal.
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The new wave is worse than the old wave.
Have care if you use. Read the erowids and the others and judge your own safety and dosages. The prob was the drone ban was because there was no clubby education even though there was enough ‘SWIM’ testing and advice out there, idiots have no respect for dangerous toxics. There is even less news on the new stuff. Do not do booze on the new wave. That’s what killed in the old wave.
safe first fun later
abuse is death
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@ sean
I agree with your comment, do not do booze on these drugs. Now being one of these drug takers i can totally agree with you there i never mix my drugs being pot, snort or drink . but never the less there are idiots out there that do and thats when one or the other or even all of them are dangerous, these are the people that need to be informed and educated better ( cause if there gonna take them there is nothin thats gonna stop them) so it would be a better use of money to educate rather than waste money on forcing people to stop when no matter what happens thay enjoy the buzz so thay will keep doing it anyway regardless of all the money spent on rehab!!
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A while ago there was a lot of rubbish being posted about mephedrone and the unfortunate deaths of 2 men in England. At the time I tried to point out it actually wasn’t anything to do with mephedrone, but the usual Daily Mail readers weren’t having any of it.
And now it seems Mephedrone really didn’t have anything to do with their deaths.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10184803.stm
Typical really….
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How many people have died due to alcohol? Yet it is still legal. There are always people trying to rid the world of things others enjoy and claiming it is dangerous. Maybe they should think of something better to do with their time!
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