Legal highs banned from Taunton’s public spaces
A ban on legal highs in public spaces is due to be introduced in Taunton.
Taunton’s borough council has been collaborating with the police in Avon and Somerset to bring in the new power. The public spaces protection order (PSPO) will apply to the town centre and will stop people using the dangerous substances in public areas. Taunton is following the example laid down by Lincoln City Council, which began operating a similar ban back in February this year.
PSPOs empower local councils to take action against persistent anti-social behaviour. The new PSPO for Taunton will come into effect on 1st June.
The ban, which will not apply to licensed premises or pavement cafes, replaces a ‘no drinking’ order that pertains to parts of Taunton and has a far broader reach. The ban means that anyone caught taking legal highs in the specified areas will be committing a criminal act and will face either a fine levied in court or a fixed penalty notice.
Councillor John Williams claims that the ban delivers “a clear message that unacceptable, anti-social behaviour in Taunton will not be tolerated.”
Legal highs have been a problem in Taunton for some time. Last year there was a unanimous vote by councillors to ban legal high sales from authority-rented premises and a shop was closed down in March for selling drugs that resulted in anti-social behaviour.