Drugs : new psychoactive substances and prescription drugs, twelfth report of session 2013-14, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence

We are facing an epidemic of psychoactive substances in the UK with deaths increasing by 79% in the last year.

New versions of these "legal highs" are being produced at the rate of at least one a week, yet it has taking the Government a year to produce five pages of guidance on the use of alternative legislation.

This slow response to the crisis may have led to more deaths.

Those who sell these killer substances need to be held responsible.

New laws should be enacted to put the onus on them. Especially at this time of year, young people need to take care about what substances they consume so their health and lives are not put at risk.

Quick turn around mobile testing units should be utilised at festivals in order in order to facilitate the removal of potentially harmful or illegal substances from the site immediately and more specific education on psychoactive substances should be given in school and colleges.

There are also currently 1.5 million people addicted to prescription drugs in the UK.

The abuse of these types of substances is taking place in the shadows and its extent is still unquantified. Local GPs need to report their suspicious and collate information to illuminate this problem.

Medical Royal Colleges should establish a joint working group to examine whether local health teams are effectively communicating concerns around individuals visiting multiple practices to request specific drugs.