Concerned parents and guardians stood in solidarity against “legal highs” at an Angus meeting on Monday.
For the second time in the space of a month members of the Arbroath community gathered to discuss escalating fears over the impact that new psychoactive substances may be having on local children.
An Arbroath Against Legal Highs Facebook page has picked up more than 1,700 followers and its members helped organise the meeting, held at the CAF Project in Arbroath.
Group administrator Dawn Bond said the meeting was “fantastic” and thanked followers for their attendance.
“There were a lot of questions asked and some very valid points made, which we thank you for,” said Dawn.
“The steering group are trying to schedule a meeting to discuss the points raised to see if we can help/assist in some of these worries. As soon as we do, we will update the page and let you know what we propose to do going forward.”
Useful information and website addresses were handed out at the meeting to allow parents to continue their research into the issue.
The meeting was chaired by local church minister Martin Fair, who has led a campaign against one of the local legal high retailers, which operates next door to a community drug rehabilitation centre run by his church in the town’s Fisheracre.
UK ministers have refused to sign up to proposed European Commission legislation for regulating new psychoactive substances, claiming it would restrict the country’s ability to control the drugs.
In a statement to Parliament, Crime Prevention Minister Norman Baker said: “The coalition Government has decided to opt out of the European Commission’s proposals for a regulation and a directive on new psychoactive substances.
“The proposals would, as drafted, fetter the UK’s discretion to control different new psychoactive substances, binding the UK to an EU system which would take insufficient account of our national circumstances.”
Mr Baker said the Government also disputes EU evidence which estimates 20% of legal highs have a “legitimate use.”
Angus South MSP Graeme Dey believes recent discussions with council and police representatives could help to remove shops which sell the substances in Angus.
Mr Dey said: “Everyone, the UK Government, Scottish Government, Police Scotland and Angus Council, is conscious of this issue and trying to come up with an implementable and effective solution.
“Westminster for example is, I understand, looking at possible amendments to existing drug legislation which might assist in addressing the legal highs situation.
“And the Scottish Government, amongst other things, is considering a suggestion I raised with them on behalf of Police Scotland here in Angus and the local council.
“It would of course be inappropriate to go into detail on that at this stage. And to be clear, even if it were deliverable it would only make a helpful contribution to hopefully removing head shops from our towns, not represent an outright solution.
“But I think the fact that such partnership work is going on illustrates that this complex matter is one that everyone is treating seriously.”
See Wednesday’s Angus Courier to read how Rev Fair has pledged the group will continue to fight until a solution to the problem is reached.