The cabiinet has approved the placing of 10 more so-called “legal highs” under the Misuse of Drugs Acts.

The Minister of State, with responsibility for Drugs Strategy, Róisín Shortall T.D., announced today (Tuesday, 1 Nov) that the Government has approved an Order declaring a further range of “legal highs” to be controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Acts.

The so-called legal high Ivory Wave will become a class B controlled drug, the Government has said.

Ireland’s young people remain the biggest users of “legal highs” in the EU as the number of synthetic drugs coming on the market increases at an alarming rate, a report has stated.

Banned head shop drugs are still widely available on the internet, while Customs officials have made 23 seizures already this year, it emerged yesterday.

Recent legislation has largely shut down the retail “head shop” trade in psychoactive drugs, but controlling internet-based purchases of the drugs remains a challenge.

Renewed efforts are needed to tackle the sale of illegal ‘headshop drugs’ on the internet, according to new research undertaken by DIT.

Renewed efforts are needed to tackle the sale of illegal ‘headshop drugs’ on the internet, according to new research from the National Advisory Committee on Drugs (NACD).

Customs seized 34kg of banned head shop drugs last year, mainly in the post.

People continue to present to hospitals with serious medical and psychiatric problems from former “legal highs” despite the crackdown on head shops, according to a respected doctor.