The Conservative Leader of Taunton Deane Borough Council, Councillor John Williams recently wrote to Theresa May MP, the Home Secretary highlighting the community’s concerns over the prevalence, availability and affordability of legal highs within the town and Rebecca Pow, the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate also met with her to highlight her concerns.

Councillor Williams said, “We have been investigating the various powers to see what we can do to stem the availability of these legal highs, in particular through local shops that are openly and irresponsibly selling these substances and hiding behind the fact they can sell them, providing it is labelled “not for human consumption”.

“I have written to the Home Secretary highlighting our concerns in the strongest terms asking for us to be assisted in finding a solution to the scourge to our community and nationally. I have requested the current legislation be urgently reviewed with a view to banning of these noxious products as we understand they have in Ireland and New Zealand”.

The Leader of the Council highlighted the following specific concerns to the community as a result of legal highs.

  • Increased mixing of legal highs with Class A drugs and increased drug paraphernalia deposited in public areas including public open spaces, toilets and school grounds
  • Increased crime levels to fund the habit
  • Areas of the town which see queues of people waiting to be served legal highs at school journey times
  • Unknown cocktails of drugs taken with serious side effects
  • Children with needle stick injuries as a result of injudicious disposal of syringes poses a severe health risk
  • An unacceptable increase in the number of used syringes being disposed of in our public toilets, parks and town centre
  • Increased public concern and fear of crime Police have recently revealed that the Wicked shop in East Reach has agreed voluntarily to cease selling the products known as new psychoactive substances following a meeting with the Safer Stronger Neighbourhood policing team.

Councillor Mark Edwards said, “I wrote to the Home Office outlining my concerns a few years ago as it was clear to me this would become a problem but in recent months has proliferated to the point that the substances are not only being openly purchased in our town they are then also being openly used and is becoming a major issue for our whole community and indeed many other towns across the country. I am delighted that the owner of one of the shops in Taunton selling legal highs has agreed to stop the sales but this will not stop others selling these items including their availability online so it is only a start - there’s a long way to go."

Cllr Jane Warmington, Executive Councillor for Community Leadership, said: “I am delighted by the news that the shop owner is taking this responsible step in stopping sales. The Council is working with police in tackling this very difficult problem which is having such an impact on our community. I know how hard the police are working behind the scenes - this decision by the shop owner shows what can be done through building solid relationships.”

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