'Legal high' sparks political row

STV

A political row has broken out over the “legal high” mephedrone which has been linked to the death of two teenagers in England.

An official review of the drug – known as “miaow miaow”, bubbles or M-CAT, which could have seen the substance banned has been delayed “political medling” according to the Liberal Democrats.

Police believe mephedrone contributed to the deaths of teenagers Louis Wainwright, 18, and Nicholas Smith, 19, in Scunthorpe on Monday.

An official review of the dance drug was put back because of fallout from the sacking of the Government's chief drugs adviser last year according to Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne.

The Government is unable to ban the drug until the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) reports on its dangers.

But the scientist in charge of looking at the effects of mephedrone, Dr Les King after Professor Nutt was sacked as ACMD chairman.

Mr Huhne said: "The failure to classify mephedrone is a direct consequence of the Government's interference in the independent advice of its scientific advisers.

"If the Home Secretary hadn't meddled in the work of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs we would already have had their advice and the Government would be able to act."

IN DETAIL

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said a Tory Government would hold an "urgent review" of legal highs.

Business Secretary Peter Mandleson said ministers would take "any action" needed to deal with the drug and avoid any future tragedies.

On Wednesday, Dundee-based charity CAIR Scotland called for the government to classify the drug - which is made from a research chemical sold as plant food – to be classified as illegal.

In January a woman died at a house in Dunfermline after she was thought to have taken the drug.

A group of nightclubs in Aberdeen became the first in Scotland to ban mephedrone from the city.

Earlier this month, Grampian Police became the first force in the UK to test revellers in Aberdeen city centre for the substance.

The Scottish Government has written to the Home Office calling for the drug to be banned as responsibility for banning or re-classifying drugs lies with Westminster.