Keeping up with legal high market ‘impossible’

One in six of Ireland’s teens has admitted to using them — the highest proportion in the EU — while one person a week died in Britain as a result of these drugs last year.

Up until now, it could take years to identify and ban the drugs, with new substitutes appearing regularly. Getting them under control was difficult as most are bought online.

The plan is to cut short all the procedures, take any drugs with a question mark off the market quickly, and then test them.