Police to use stop and search in legal high crackdown

Police officers will use their powers of stop and search as part of an attempt to crackdown on legal highs.

Legal high drugs, which are also known as new psychoactive substances (NPS), are regularly being seized by police in the Edinburgh area and sent off for analysis. In Edinburgh, Chief Superintendent Mark Williams, claims that stop and search is an “effective tactic” to use in the fight against the highly harmful drugs. New figures released have shown that stop and searches by police have risen by 30% in Edinburgh.

Chief Superintendent Williams said: “When we find somebody in possession of it, we seize it and record it as a positive stop-and-search and send it for analysis. The legal high element is a real misnomer. People assume that it’s legal and it’s safe – but it’s incredibly dangerous.”

Health authorities have already warned that the increasing use of legal highs is putting an unsustainable strain on the area’s resources; however, due to the drugs being lawful and their ready availability, officials have found it difficult to exercise any control over the sale and use of legal highs.

Jim Orr, the councillor for Southside/Newington, has welcomed the increase in police stop and searches. Mr Orr says that the searches, whilst not eradicating the supply or use of legal highs, will make them safer, as police will be able to confirm that the packets contain the ingredients they claim to.