New 'legal high' hits pubs in Scotland

Licensees should be on guard against another "legal high", which has caused around 20 users in Scotland to be hospitalised.

Ivory Wave is sold as bath salts and can be snorted or taken orally.

The new substance hit the market less than a month after the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs reclassified old "legal high" naphyrone as a class B drug, which was advertised as pond cleaner.

In March this year mephedrone, a powder sold as plant food, was also banned as a category B drug after being linked to almost 30 deaths.

Users of the new drug are likely to suffer from a number of conditions including paranoia, hallucinations, psychosis, palpitations, insomnia, sickness or anxiety.

It contains MDPV — a stimulent similar to Ecstasy that can keep users awake for days at a time.

"The chemicals used in legal highs change all the time so people can never be certain what they are actually taking and what the effects might be," said Jim Sherval of NHS Lothian.

"In most cases, the products have not been tested, so little is known about how toxic they are."

A Scottish Government spokesman said it is "tackling" the problem of 'legal highs'.

"We called for the urgent legislation to ban mephedrone and, more recently, naphyrone.

"We support the UK Government's proposal for a holding category for emerging substances where more evidence is needed. We're also working closely with our police forces to make sure retailers are clear about the legal status and the health implications associated with these products.

Only the UK Government has power to ban or reclassify drugs.