Ban Mephadrone!

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

Ban it! Despite the fact that we don't know whether it was responsible for their deaths

 

The government's official drug advisers are to recommend a ban on mephedrone, the "legal high" taken by the two teenagers who died after a night out in Sc***horpe on Sunday.

 

Amid calls from headteachers and drug campaigners for an instant ban, the Home Office drugs minister, Alan Campbell, said he would take "immediate action" after advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), which is due at the end of this month.

 

Humberside police todaysaid they had arrested a fourth person in connection with the deaths of Nick Smith, 19, a chef, and Louis Wainwright, 18, an apprentice welder. They took mephedrone – also known as M-Cat and Meow Meow – along with alcohol and methadone, the heroin substitute, while clubbing.

 

Tonight the four were being held in custody on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug.

 

The extent of mephedrone's role in the deaths will remain unclear for several weeks while postmortem toxicology tests are carried out.

 

"A mixture of any type of drug increases the likelihood of people coming to harm," said Detective Chief Inspector Mark Oliver. "It is not clear how much of a contributory factor M-Cat has made to these deaths."

 

There have been no confirmed cases of deaths in the UK from the substance, and only one in Europe.

 

It is derived from cathinone, the active ingredient found in khat, a plant used as a drug in Somalia. Available as tablets, powder or liquid online and in "head shops" for £10-£15 a gram, it has rapidly become a favourite alternative to ecstasy for British clubbers.

 

It is legal but its dangers remain unclear. Last November, Sussex police linked the death of a 14-year-old girl, Gabrielle Price, to mephedrone, but the coroner said the cause was bronchial pneumonia.

 

Today Smith's mother, Elaine, pleaded for it to be taken off the market.

 

"Nick's not the first one to die from taking it," she said. "It's still around and still so available in colleges and schools. These drugs just should not be on the market … [Nick] made probably an uninformed, foolish decision to take it and for that reason Nick's gone and we're never going to be the same as a family again."

 

His father, Tony Smith, told Channel 4 News: "He's taken a legal drug and why would anyone assume that could kill you? You can speak to your children about it but politicians need to do something. How many more children need to die? This drug should be banned."

 

Wainwright's mother, Jacqui, said: "The family are completely devastated at our loss and we would like to support the Smith family in the message they have delivered to please support the police investigation. Let's try and stop this happening again."

 

Campbell insisted that the Home Office was determined to "act swiftly" but added: "It is important we consider independent expert advice to stop organised criminals exploiting loopholes by simply switching to a different but similar compound."

 

The ACMD had already made it a priority to examine the dangers of mephedrone and held an evidence-gathering meeting on 22 February. A ban is unlikely to come into effect before the summer.

 

Smith, who had gone on a night out with colleagues from Winteringham Fields restaurant, was found dead on Monday after separating from friends at the Love nightclub in Sc***horpe. He was found in a flat in the town, according to the restaurants's chef patron, Colin McGurran, who drank with him earlier in the evening.

 

Wainwright, who used to work at the restaurant, woke at 9am on Monday feeling ill, McGurran said, but went back to bed to sleep it off. He was dead by noon.

 

Humberside police said six people had since come forward for medical checks.

 

The shadow home secretary, Chris Grayling, said there was a strong case for banning legal highs and promised a review if the Conservatives won the election.

 

McGurran said Smith and three others had gone to the club in Sc***horpe after several pints in a local pub. At some point in the evening he became separated from his work colleagues.

 

"Someone offered him something," he said. "He popped outside to meet the fella. The others were oblivious and were looking for Nick and went home [to the restaurant staff house] after they couldn't find him. They assumed he had gone home."

 

The government's drug experts are keen to avoid looking as though they are being bounced into a decision by ministers. ACMD members are still smarting from the sacking of Professor David Nutt. Work on mephedrone started in October in response to "emerging concerns".

 

A spokesman for the drug campaign group Release said: "The situation related to mephedrone is of great concern … we don't have an evidence base to assess the risks associated with this drug

[D.Boon]

This post is not viewable to guests.

You can sign in to your account at the login page here

If you do not have an account then you can register here

[Jonesy]

This post is not viewable to guests.

You can sign in to your account at the login page here

If you do not have an account then you can register here

[Gunga Din]

This post is not viewable to guests.

You can sign in to your account at the login page here

If you do not have an account then you can register here

[Jonesy]

This post is not viewable to guests.

You can sign in to your account at the login page here

If you do not have an account then you can register here

[Frosty Jack]

This post is not viewable to guests.

You can sign in to your account at the login page here

If you do not have an account then you can register here

Edited March 17, 2010 by Wyndham Lewis