Professor Alex Stevens from SSPSSR comments on the government’s review into the ban on legal highs which has found the sale of these drugs has gone underground as an illegal trade as a result.
‘The government’s review of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 shows, once again, that banning drugs does not solve drug problems. New psychoactive substances have continued to emerge.
‘The market for them has merged with the illegal trade in street drugs. Price and potency have increased. Harms have been concentrated among the most vulnerable groups, including prisoners and homeless people.
‘This comes at a time when drug-related deaths have climbed to their highest ever levels, and services for people with drug problems are being cut. If the government is serious about reducing drug-related harms, it needs to invest in reducing homelessness, in treatment for mental health and drug problems, and in providing real rehabilitation in prisons and the community.’
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