Bideford parents will be pleased that the Government has taken action and announced today that the legal high Mephedrone, also known as M-Cat and

Miaow is to be banned.

Mephedrone and its

related compounds are to be banned and made Class B drugs following

recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

(ACMD), Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced today.

In addition, the government is taking immediate action to control mephedrone's availability and reduce its harm by:

*

banning importations - with immediate effect the UK Border Agency will

be able to seize and destroy shipments of mephedrone at the border;

*

targeting head shops - the Home Secretary has written to local

authorities urging them to use powers under the Consumer Protection

from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and medicines legislation to seize

mephedrone;

* informing young people - the FRANK campaign and

website will distribute a new 'fact card' on mephedrone warning users

of the forthcoming ban and that cathinones, the group of chemicals it

belongs to, are dangerous;

* warning suppliers - police forces and

other agencies will be contacting head shops and other premises warning

them of the ban and making it clear enforcement action will follow; and

*

issuing health warnings - issuing a health alert through the public

health warning system to ensure that all frontline hospital and medical

staff have the most up to date information about the harms of

mephedrone.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:

"I am

determined to act swiftly on the ACMD's advice and will now seek

cross-party support to ban mephedrone and its related compounds as soon

as possible.

"I am also taking immediate action to limit supply

by banning the importation of mephedrone; sending a clear warning to

suppliers about their responsibilities; and using the Government's

successful Frank campaign to warn young people about its dangers.

"Mephedrone

and its related substances have been shown to be dangerous and harmful,

but it is right we waited for full scientific advice so we can take

action that stops organised criminals and dealers tweaking substances

to get around the law."

Legislation will now follow at the

earliest opportunity with a Parliamentary order laid tomorrow. It is

hoped with Parliament's agreement the ban will come into effect within

weeks.

The move comes after advice from the chair of the ACMD

that mephedrone and the family of cathinone derivatives are dangerous

drugs and should be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as

Class B.  The ACMD expressed concern about the harms it can have on the

health and well being of users.  They cited evidence that mephedrone

consumption can cause hallucinations, blood circulation problems,

rashes, anxiety, paranoia, fits and delusions.

Chair of the ACMD Professor Les Iversen said:

"Today,

the ACMD has made a series of recommendations to the Home Secretary to

control a range of cathinone derivatives, including mephedrone, under

the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as Class B drugs.

"The advice we

have provided to government is generic legislation encompassing a wide

range of cathinone derivatives. This is, as far as we are aware, a

world-first for the cathinones.  By proposing this chemically complex

legislation - we expect that our drug laws will be more robust and more

difficult for chemists to develop new substances to flout the law.

"Our

formal Report will be published in the next few days. However, we hope

that the advice we give today will assist the Home Secretary to take

such actions as he sees fit."

Legislation will now follow at the

earliest opportunity with a Parliamentary order laid tomorrow. It is

hoped with Parliament's agreement the ban will come into effect within

weeks.

Following advice from the ACMD on harms the UK Border

Agency will be able to seize and destroy mephedrone and related

compounds at the border. This will be achieved by banning them from

import by removing these substances from the Open General Import

Licence (OGIL).

Mephedrone is currently sold labelled as 'plant

food' or as 'bath salts' in an attempt to bypass the medicines laws.

Following ACMD confirmation that mephedrone has no use as a fertiliser

or bath salts, local trades description teams have been urged to seize

mephedrone sold in this way. They will also use medicines legislation

to seize samples labelled for 'human consumption'.

Police forces

and other agencies will also contact shops known to stock mephedrone

warning them of the government's intention to ban it. Such warning

ahead of previous bans on so-called 'legal highs' have seen retailers

less willing to stock these substances.  Letters from forces will also

make it clear the police will take action against those found to have

stockpiled mephedrone ahead of a ban.

The former Home Secretary

Jacqui Smith asked the ACMD to carry out a programme of work looking

into legal highs based on prevalence and harm in March last year. As a

result the ACMD provided advice on synthetic cannabionids, these

substances were subsequently banned in December 2009 together with GBL

and BZP.