Off your head

I have heard more about these so called “head shops” over the last few weeks than ever before. Within two weeks of each other, two Dublin head shops went up in flames. These fires happened at time where the safety of head shops is under investigation. This has just added to the controversy. Fine Gael Health Spokesperson James Reilly has suggested that an amendment be placed in the Finance Bill to legally require head shops to have a licence to operate.

If head shops can sell “legal highs” without a licence how do we know how safe these products are? They claim to sell products such as hallucinogens and party pills made from substances that are not registered as drugs in any country therefore making them legal. If a product is not made from illegal substances but creates the same effect, is it not just a dangerous? You could say it defeats the purpose of why a drug with this effect was made illegal in the first place.

Apart from the legal highs that head shops sell they also sell drug paraphernalia such as bongs and rolling paper. Although head shops are not selling the drugs in the store, they are encouraging the use by selling products you more than likely need drugs to use.

With hospitals all over the country admitting people with side effects of head shop products, they must not be as safe as shop owners’ claim. Side effects induced by these products include addiction, difficulty breathing and psychotic episodes. Not exactly a safe high in my opinion.

Just because the substances are legal does not mean they will not cause harm. Legal is not the same as safe.

JOD