Beggs urges action over 'legal highs'

Roy Beggs Jnr contacted Owen Paterson after the public meetings in Larne and Carrickfergus raised concerns over drug problems in the area.

“I wrote to the Secretary of State seeking his support for spot-listing of ‘legal highs’ and to address Chinese laboratories that produce designer drugs to get around bans,” said Mr Beggs.

“I am pleased that the coalition government has made a commitment to ‘introduce a system of temporary bans on new ‘legal highs’ while health issues are considered by independent experts in England.”

In the initial letter sent by Roy Beggs, he urged Mr Paterson to take the issue of enabling spot-listing of legal highs to the Cabinet.

“This will allow us to stay one step ahead of the criminal gangs who are selling drugs like mephedrone in Northern Ireland.

“I would also request that HMG should be applying pressure on the Chinese Government and other such states to better regulate and prevent the manufacture of designer drugs that are harming our young people,” he wrote.

In response, the Secretary of State said: “You can be assured that we will seek to use all methods available to us to challenge the trade in dangerous drugs from where ever it comes and I shall, of course, raise the points which you asked me to make with Cabinet colleagues.”

Mr Beggs said the issue of “legal highs” is a very serious one and he was glad the Secretary of State is willing to fight for Northern Ireland on this issue at Cabinet level.

“I have also received assurances from our Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, that we are being proactive in Northern Ireland in dealing with the problem,” he said.