Department of Education Drug and Alcohol Website

A range of ‘legal highs’ are now illegal

Posted: 14 Jan 2010 Accreditation: Orla O'Donoghue

In August 2009 the Home Office announced that the following substances will be banned, subject to parliamentary approval, in December 2009:

Synthetic cannabinoids such as ‘Spice’ will be controlled as a Class B drug alongside cannabis.
BZP (Benzylpiperazine) and related piperazines will be controlled as Class C drugs
GBL (Gamma-Butyrolactone) and a similar chemical – which are converted in to the Class C drug GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) in the body and often used as ‘club drugs’. They will be controlled as Class C drugs and banned when intended for human consumption.

In addition, a further 24 anabolic steroids, testosterone-like products often used by sports people and increasingly being used by the general public, and two growth promoters will be classified as Class C drugs.