New legislation in the UK, a crackdown on imports by local authorities and better education about the dangers posed by NPS have been blamed for the slow-down.
As a result, ‘fewer than a handful’ of new psychoactive substances, formerly known as legal highs, have been seized by Customs officers this year – down from several every month at the peak of their use.
Last year more than £100,000 worth of NPS was seized by Customs, the majority of which had come through the post. And in the 12 months before that, nearly £190,000 worth of the drugs were seized, however, since the introduction of the Psychoactive Substances Act in the UK earlier this year, which prohibits any substance intended for human consumption that is capable of producing a psychoactive effect to be traded, Customs has seen a significant reduction in NPS importations.
