Data suggests the UK's legal high ban has been effective.
The Public Spaces Protection Order or PSPO, given to councils as a new power in
October 2014, allowed them to tackle antisocial behaviour in the UK's streets.
The PSPO allows councils to take legal action by banning
several activities deemed antisocial, including legal highs. However, critics
say that despite the bans, the legal highs, their manufacturers, sellers and
customers, would likely increase after the initial dip.
Much of the shops in Britain are now using online services
to deliver the substance door to door.
According to Cohen Cramer Law Senior Lawyer Mark Jackson:
“People who are intoxicated and caught by the authorities on
the street are not in a position to mount a legal challenge,” he says.
About 15 local authorities have introduced a PSPO that
tackled legal highs and behaviour after using the substance. About 15 more
local authorities are in the process of approving their PSPOs.
According to councils, they needed to use their powers to ensure
the government's check continues in their regions.
Critics said the banning could only stop indecent behaviour
and abuse of the drug for a while. But without regulation, the product can
still be sold elsewhere. This introduces a huge risk of the products being left
unchecked in quality, which could mean a contrast in expected results could
happen.
