Bradford police chief welcomes legal high legislation

A police chief from Bradford is eager for the government to introduce legislation surrounding legal high drugs, claiming that any ban cannot come soon enough.

Police Inspector Andy Gallant, the leader of Bradford’s City Area Neighbourhood Team, has been shocked by how rapidly legal high drugs have been taken up by users in society. He warned that legal high drugs are incredibly addictive and actively change the personalities of people who use them. He also advised against trying a legal high drug, claiming that anyone who thought it would be a one-time use were wrong.

In May the government announced plans to introduce a blanket ban on legal high drugs nationwide. The legislation will target the production, supply and sale of the drugs, which are also known as new psychoactive substances (NPS). Any person caught manufacturing or supplying legal high drugs may face up to seven years’ imprisonment.

Inspector Gallant said: “The new legislation on legal highs cannot come soon enough. It will be utilised as quickly as possible to remove this trend, this craze, or whatever you want to call it, from public consumption.”

Anti-social legislation has already been used by police to tackle disruptive behaviour in Bradford’s city centre caused by the use of legal highs; however, Inspector Gallant stated that the new ban will help the police even more, as it will prohibit any drug that has psychoactive properties and leave less “wriggle room for those selling it.”