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The decision to ban mephedrone has sparked a row over the Government's handling of scientific advice. The drug, which has the street name of ‘meow-meow', became illegal last week, after last-minute legislation was rushed through Parliament. But the decision to give the drug a Class B rating, according to medical journal The Lancet, caused further splits between the Government and the Home Office's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). It claimed pressure was put on the committee, which was already weakened by the sacking of chairman, Prof David Nutt, to ban mephedrone, despite a lack of evidence that it had caused deaths. Until last week, the drug had been available over the counter as a legal high, due to loopholes in legislation. But a spate of deaths linked to the drugs led to ministers acting, although other illegal substances or excess alcohol had been involved in many of the cases. In the latest death, a female law student had taken mephedrone, but an inquest revealed she was two-and-a-half times over the drink-driving limit and had also taken the party drug GHB and Valium. It blamed GHB and alcohol for her death. The Lancet said: ‘There was little time to consider carefully the scientific evidence on mephedrone. ‘The ACMD did not have sufficient evidence to judge the harms caused by this drug class. It is too easy and potentially counterproductive to ban each new substance which comes along rather than seek to understand more about young people's motivations and how we can influence them.' Before the ban, council trading standards officials had been working with local business using trade description legislation to take the drug out of circulation. To end uncertainty, the Association of Chief Police Officers told officers to concentrate on arresting dealers, and warned of ‘potential' prosecution of anyone found with the drug. But councils welcomed the decision for giving much-needed clarity. Cllr Paul Bettison, chairman of LACORS, the LGA body responsible for overseeing regulatory services, said: ‘The law on so-called legal highs has been too murky for too long. ‘Councils are seeing more mephedrone users and their families turning to them for help, advice and support, and it will be a relief to many people to see the substance made illegal.'

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WHITEHALL

Medics attack 'rushed' decision to outlaw drug

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