Ahern: New laws will see head shops closed for good

HEAD shops will be closed for good this summer, once new legislation is enacted in the summer, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern has predicted.

Last month, the Government introduced separate measures to ban a range of so-called “legal highs” – psychoactive substances serving as substitutes for illegal drugs. But it admitted at the time that head shops would counteract the ban simply by changing the composition of some of the substances or introducing new products.

As a result, it signalled its intention to introduce legislation that would target head shops in a more general way. Details of that legislation were announced yesterday by Mr Ahern, who said he expected it to become law before the Dáil rises for the summer.

Under the legislation, the sale or supply of substances for human consumption which are not specifically banned, but which have psychoactive effects, will be a criminal offence.

Gardaí will have the power to apply to the District Court for “prohibition orders”, which would prevent head shops from selling specific products.

Mr Ahern said that these would effectively be “closure orders” for the head shops.

The legislation will also contain full search and seizure powers for the Garda and the Customs Service.

Mr Ahern said that, together with the earlier ban, the new legislation would form a “belt and braces” approach to the issue.

“I am conscious that further action is necessary to deal with the emergence of potentially dangerous new substances not covered by the ban,” he said. “Accordingly, I am proposing the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Bill to ensure that the criminal law and the Garda can deal quickly and effectively with those who sell psychoactive substances for human consumption. Really, what we’re trying to do is a catch-all piece of legislation so as to obviate the necessity to go back every time there’s a new product on the market,” he added.

The Irish Examiner reported earlier this week how nine new legal highs were being sold in head shops, replacing drugs banned by the Government.

They include “Raz”, a powder containing lignocaine, a local anaesthetic often used as a cocaine substitute, and “Energy”, a capsule containing dimethylamylamine, a stimulant replacing banned BZP.