Beggs Presses the First Minister on Addressing Legal Highs

Roy Beggs MLA recently took the opportunity to press the First Minister, Peter Robinson MLA, on the work of the British-Irish Council in combating legal highs.

Roy Beggs MLA helped Carrickfergus Community Drugs and Alcohol Advisory Group (CCDAAG) to organise the Public information evening about legal highs in Carrickfergus Town hall. He also contributed at the Public meeting in Larne organised by PAL which hundreds of local people attended.

The issue of legal highs is close to the hearts of many within the East Antrim area, with active Facebook groups like PAL (Preventing Addiction Larne) and Get Mephedrone of Our Streets set up in protest against such legal highs.

The recent OFMDFM report to the Assembly on the British-Irish Council summit indicated that discussion occurred on the issue of head shops and legal highs. During questioning of the First Minister in the Assembly, UUP MLA Roy Beggs asked "You said that head shops and so-called legal highs were discussed under the heading of substance misuse. Will the First Minister tell us whether the spot-listing of designer drugs was discussed? We recently suffered an epidemic of mephedrone use in Northern Ireland and found that it took three or four months to have that drug banned. Can we develop this idea so that we can follow the good practice of the USA and New Zealand and be one step ahead of the international criminal gangs"

Responding to Roy Beggs MLAs query, First Minister Robinson said "The issue came up at the Council only by way of a documentary report on all the work streams, so it was not discussed. There would have been considerable discussion on all those issues during the ministerial meetings on the subjects. I will draw attention to the Member's remarks so that the Minister can respond directly. However, as he outlined, that is precisely why the work streams exist and why the Council meets."

Speaking from his constituency office, Roy Beggs MLA said "I would call on the British-Irish Council to do more to help combat legal highs by allowing a speedier response to new designer drugs, following the examples of USA and New Zealand in being one step ahead of these criminals. I would call on the British- Irish Council to discuss the issue at their next meeting to see how we can further combat these drugs which are designed by international gangs to evade existing laws."