NEARLY 500 people have been arrested since a ban on so-called legal highs came into force six months ago, the Home Office has said.
The legislation came into force on May 26, and 492 arrests have been made to date.
Four people have been jailed including William Cook, 29, of Milton Keynes, who was handed a sentence of three-and-a-half years after being caught with hundreds of canisters of nitrous oxide – dubbed hippy crack – at the town’s Electric Daisy Carnival in July.
Some 332 shops across the UK have stopped selling the drugs while 31 head shops – which sold drugs paraphernalia – have closed down.
Home Office minister Sarah Newton said: “We banned new psychoactive substances because they are not safe, they can devastate lives and we will not tolerate them in this country.
“I am pleased to see the police making full use of the new powers, arresting dealers and ensuring they are punished with prison sentences which reflect the seriousness of this crime.
“At the same time as supporting law enforcement in tackling the supply of illegal drugs, we are also taking action to prevent the harms caused by their use – from educating young people about the risks to helping dependent individuals through treatment.”
In 2015, new psychoactive substances (NPS) were involved in 204 deaths in the UK – up 25 per cent from 163 deaths in 2014, the Home Office said.
They are generally cheaper and easier to get hold of than traditional recreational drugs.
At one time there were 90 retailers across Scotland selling the new psychoative substances , including newsagents and furniture shops.
Although the shops on the high street have closed down, it is still relatively easy to order the substances online.
Commander Simon Bray, the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s lead on new psychoactive substances, said: “The Psychoactive Substances Act fundamentally changed the way the police tackle the supply and distribution of these dangerous drugs.
“Across the country officers are using the full range of powers to enforce the law, and the figures released today highlight their commitment to reducing the availability of these harmful substances.
“I am confident that together with education, local authorities and other enforcement agencies, we can continue to disrupt the supply and accessibility of these drugs and prevent the damage they can cause.”
In August, Police Scotland’s Deputy Chief Constable Ruaraidh Nicolson said: “During the course of our investigation into NPS, Operation Redwall, we identified a peak of over 90 retailers who were involved or suspected to be involved in the overt sale of NPS across Scotland.
“This ranged from ‘head shops’ selling NPS as one of the mainstays of their business, to premises like newsagents and even furniture shops who were selling these substances as an ancillary item.
“Police Scotland visited each of these retailers who were trading one week prior to the new legislation being introduced and delivered educational letters to the owners.
“At this time we identified a total of five premises across Scotland who were still overtly selling NPS. On a return visit, one week post legislation, our officers found that none of these premises continued to openly sell NPS.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here