Two legal highs banned as class A substances

Two drugs previously known as legal highs have been banned because they have been categorised as class A drugs.

The drugs, which have so far been linked to at least 37 deaths in the UK, are called Serotoni and MT-45. The latter has not been found in the UK; however, both have been banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

The ban means that anyone found in possession of these two drugs can be sent to prison for up to seven years and fined an unlimited amount. Supplying these drugs can result in an unlimited fine and a life sentence in prison. The ban follows a recommendation made by the Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).

The chair of the ACMD, Professor Les Iversen, said: “Both of these substances pose serious dangers and we are advising they should be banned in the UK.”

A government study published last month proved contentious when it claimed that treating the possession of drugs as a health rather than criminal issue had no effect on the levels of drug abuse.

The former crime prevention minister, Liberal Democrat Norman Baker, resigned after the study, claiming that working with the home secretary, Theresa May, was similar to “walking through mud” because of how she persisted in treating the department like a Conservative domain rather than a Coalition one. Mr Baker said that the government’s approach to tackling drugs was not sound and that the Conservatives had suppressed a controversial report.