News (Media Awareness Project) - UK: Legal High Meow To Be Banned After Hove Death |
| Title: | UK: Legal High Meow To Be Banned After Hove Death |
| Published On: | 2010-03-27 |
| Source: | Argus, The (UK) |
| Fetched On: | 2010-04-02 02:47:56 |
LEGAL HIGH MEOW TO BE BANNED AFTER HOVE DEATH
The legal high mephedrone will be banned next week, Gordon Brown has
signalled.
The prime minister gave his strongest hint yet that the drug, which
is linked to the death of 46-year-old Hove man, will be outlawed
immediately after he is handed a crucial report from advisers, on
Monday.
Mr Brown suggested the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs would
recommend that mephedrone - also known as meow meow - should be made
a Class B drug.
The move follows a string of deaths of people who have used the drug,
including John Sterling Smith, who collapsed at a party in Arundel
House, The Drive, Hove last month.
His friends and paramedics tried to revive him but he died from a
cardiac arrest - believed to have been triggered by mephedrone
poisoning - before he could be taken to hospital.
Mr Brown told The Argus the deaths were a "tragedy for these young
people and their families".
He added: "Whenever we receive the report from the Advisory Council
on the Misuse of Drugs - and I believe we will receive it on March
29, so only a few days away - we will be ready to take action.
"We cannot allow a situation to develop when people are not aware of
both the risks attached with this and also the legal measures that
can be taken to deal with it."
Normally sold as a white powder, mephedrone produces effects similar
to amphetamines and ecstasy, including headaches, palpitations,
nausea and cold or blue fingers.
Use of the legal high has become widespread in Brighton and Hove over
the past six months, with children as young as 12 or 13 reported to
be taking it.
Last month Paul Ransom, lead accident and emergency consultant at the
Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, and Princess Royal Hospital
in Haywards Heath, said he feared about the long-term effects of
meow meow after seeing a huge rise in teenagers admitted after taking
the drugs.
Dr Ramsom said: "This is a real concern because we don't know exactly
what long term or even medium term effects it could have, because it
is so new."
The legal high mephedrone will be banned next week, Gordon Brown has
signalled.
The prime minister gave his strongest hint yet that the drug, which
is linked to the death of 46-year-old Hove man, will be outlawed
immediately after he is handed a crucial report from advisers, on
Monday.
Mr Brown suggested the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs would
recommend that mephedrone - also known as meow meow - should be made
a Class B drug.
The move follows a string of deaths of people who have used the drug,
including John Sterling Smith, who collapsed at a party in Arundel
House, The Drive, Hove last month.
His friends and paramedics tried to revive him but he died from a
cardiac arrest - believed to have been triggered by mephedrone
poisoning - before he could be taken to hospital.
Mr Brown told The Argus the deaths were a "tragedy for these young
people and their families".
He added: "Whenever we receive the report from the Advisory Council
on the Misuse of Drugs - and I believe we will receive it on March
29, so only a few days away - we will be ready to take action.
"We cannot allow a situation to develop when people are not aware of
both the risks attached with this and also the legal measures that
can be taken to deal with it."
Normally sold as a white powder, mephedrone produces effects similar
to amphetamines and ecstasy, including headaches, palpitations,
nausea and cold or blue fingers.
Use of the legal high has become widespread in Brighton and Hove over
the past six months, with children as young as 12 or 13 reported to
be taking it.
Last month Paul Ransom, lead accident and emergency consultant at the
Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, and Princess Royal Hospital
in Haywards Heath, said he feared about the long-term effects of
meow meow after seeing a huge rise in teenagers admitted after taking
the drugs.
Dr Ramsom said: "This is a real concern because we don't know exactly
what long term or even medium term effects it could have, because it
is so new."
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