Mephedrone Banned

by Katy Murcutt - Paralegal

14 April 2010, filed under Consumer

From Friday 16th April 2010 the party drug mephedrone will become illegal in England and Wales. After completion of the formal parliamentary process yesterday, mephedrone will be categorised as a Class B drug alongside amphetamines.

From Friday, any person found to be in possession of mephedrone shall be subject to a maximum prison sentence of five years and a proportionate fine. Those caught trafficking a Class B drug can be sent to prison for up to fourteen years.

Mephedrone, which is currently sold online as a plant food, has been banned in response to the deaths of several teenagers across England and Scotland.

On 8th April, the House of Lords voted to outlaw mephedrone with immediate effect and to classify it as a Class B drug. In contrast, the Home Office postponed an immediate ban to enable those possessing the substance to dispose of all traces of it without risk of facing criminal responsibility until this Friday.

There are concerns that users of Mephedrone, also known as Meow Meow, will stockpile supplies of the drug before it is banned on Friday.

Mephedrone use has been linked to several youth’s deaths in the UK. The use of this drug for recreational purposes has resulted in a number of damaging effects on the user’s body, including the risk of seizure, circulatory and heart problems. The use of this drug has been linked to youths dying from a heart attack after taking the drug.

Conservative spokesman James Brokenshire has pointed out that ministers should have acted sooner to ban the drug as the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs warned ministers in December that a street trade had developed in Guernsey.