Shop workers in Aberdeen have admitted they will likely have to close when the blanket ban on legal highs comes into force.
A number of stores that sell the New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) – or legal highs as they are more commonly known – could be forced to shut when the ban, revealed in the Queen’s Speech earlier this week, comes into begin.
The law will carry prison sentences of up to seven years for selling or distributing the drugs.
Yesterday, many of the stores in Aberdeen that sell the substances – including Harminasion in George Street, Goldfish Industries in Palmerston Road and the store in George Street’s indoor market – said they could end up closing their doors.
One staff member at the indoor market store said: “The shop would shut. As far as I know it would be illegal to sell it, and I’d be sentenced to seven years in jail.
“Before this used to be a tobacconist, but we’ve been selling legal highs for a few years now.
“I wouldn’t think we would be able to carry on when the ban comes in. It’s a bit over the top I think, there’s just some people that use them in the wrong way.”
The ban comes as part of the Conservative’s Psychoactive Substances Bill, and will apply to “any substances intended for human consumption that is capable of producing a psychoactive effect”.
Alcohol, tobacco and caffeine are not part of the ban, however the sale of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, for recreational use will also be restricted.
Marie Boulton, the deputy leader of Aberdeen City Council and a member of the Council’s Alcohol and Drugs partnership, said: “We’ve been constantly trying to play keep-up to control these drugs, but now this new bill will give
everyone the opportunity to stop the sale of these drugs.
“They can mislead young people into thinking that if there’s a shop frontage, it must be OK, but really they cause a lot of harm.
“I’m not at all concerned that these stores will close. When people profit from other’s suffering it’s not okay, and although I don’t want to see anybody out of a job when it comes down to it I think it’s paramount that this legislation goes ahead.”