Scottish police make 186 legal high arrests

Police in Scotland have made 186 arrests over legal highs since the blanket ban came into effect earlier this year.

Since the new legislation was implemented, more than 90 Scottish retailers have ceased trading in the dangerous drugs. These legal high outlets in Scotland have followed hundreds of other UK traders who have also stopped selling the substances since the end of May.

The new legislation makes it an offence to manufacture, distribute, sell, or supply the drugs. Anyone discovered trading in the drugs, formerly known as legal highs, can face a jail sentence of up to 7 years.
According to the police, at least 90 sellers of legal highs have removed the drugs from their shelves and are complying with the law by not offering them for sale. Throughout the UK, 308 shops have ceased selling the drugs. Also, 24 head shops, which were selling the drugs as their main product, have closed down.

Ruaraidh Nicolson, Deputy Chief Constable, said that the police had monitored the trade of new psychoactive substances in Scotland and discovered more than 90 retailers that they suspected were involved in the trade. He said, “All were visited a week prior to the legislation taking effect to serve an educational letter and five premises across Scotland were found to be openly selling NPS. A week after the legislation was introduced, the same retailers were visited once again and none were found to be openly selling NPS.”