New crackdown on legal highs

But what was supposed to generate a thrilling out of body experience or the best night out ever has ended in tragedy of scores of teenagers across the country - including in Hampshire.

Seemingly innocuous so-called 'legal highs' - readily available over the counter at head shops, or to order online - have been laid bare are potentially toxic and deadly substances which have led to a number of tragic deaths of young people in the county.

Now Home Office chiefs are on the cusp of launching a new war on the dangerous mind-altering substances by launching a blanket ban on all so-called synthetic drug 'legal highs'

It signals a victory for the Daily Echo's Say No to Legal Highs campaign launched three years ago calling for tougher laws, vendors and sellers to be held to account and tighter controls to stop youngsters buying the dangerous substances over the counter.

It follows the deaths of young people in the county and others being rushed to hospital after falling seriously ill.

But how far do the laws go and to what extent will they be able to protect people?

The Psychoactive Substances Act, due to come in on Wednesday, April 6, aims to ensure a watertight ban stopping manufacturers circumventing the system by making tiny changes to the composition of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) drugs to get around previous bans.

They will make it an offence to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess with intent to supply, possess on custodial premises, import or export psychoactive substances. The maximum sentence will be 7 years’ imprisonment.

Some substances such as caffeine, alcohol, foods, and medicines are excluded and there are exemptions covering healthcare activities and approved scientific research. Controlled drugs such as cocaine will continue to be regulated by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Simon Hayes, has strongly lobbied for the changes - supporting our campaign and backing a separate drive by his Youth Commission called Lethal Highs.

But he said he "cautiously welcomes" the ban, adding: "Anything that makes it difficult for those manufacturing, transporting or selling mind-altering substances, and therefore reduces the numbers of people consuming them, has to be a good thing.

"I have long campaigned for either a complete ban or tighter regulations around the sale and use of NPS which can cause serious physical and mental illness and even death. However the Act is a complicated piece of legislation and nationally uncertainties have been expressed around how enforceable it is in practice.”

But he said the move to shift the weight of criminality to those supplying the drugs, rather than individuals consuming them is "positive" and added: "This means it is vital that the implementation of the legislation is supported by a strong awareness raising programme that seeks to educate people around the dangers of taking these substances so they can make informed choices."

Southampton City Council cabinet member for health Councillor Dave Shields, who has also supported our campaign, also called for education campaigns to prevent young people from being tempted to take them.

He said: "We need to look at the demand as well as the supply. Crime and punishment fits the bill, but we need to look at the reasons why people take them."

He also urged the authorities to clamp down on internet sales and to work with European partners to prevent drugs being imported, adding: "I hope the Government has sufficient resources to sufficiently enforce it and to carry out public awareness campaigns."

Southampton Itchen Tory MP Royston Smith said the ban is "long overdue" and added: "We need to make an example of people who make a profit from things that risk people's lives and ensure they have strict penalties.We need to send out the message that these are not legal anymore."

The effects of legal highs range include increasing heart rate and blood pressure, rapidly increasing body temperature and causing comas or death, while they also have an impact on mental health including anxiety, hallucinations and in some cases psychosis.

A blanket ban on legal highs was included in the 2015 Conservative election manifesto, promising to do more to protect young people across the country.

Our campaign came after a number of deaths of young people in Hampshire including schoolboy Adam Hunt, from Millbrook, who died in hospital in August 2013 – five days after falling seriously ill after taking AMT and etizolam.

Trainee doctor Doug Ferguson, 19, from Chandler’s Ford, died after taking AMT in June 2012 and married father William Nutter, 32, from Andover, died after consuming AMT the following month.

And in April last year, bereaved mum Vivian Ryan called for the banning of legal highs which she believes killed her son Clint Broomfield, of Radstock Road in Woolston.

Earlier this month a 15-year-old Hampshire schoolboy had to be resuscitated by medics and admitted to intensive care in critical condition after he and two friends took legal highs The other two also needed hospital treatment and the boys - who attend the Burgate School in Fordingbridge are all though to have taken a legal high called '25i'.