The resignation of Dr Polly Taylor – the veterinary medicine expert whose post is required by law to be filled on the committee – from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs had sparked speculation that the ban on Mephedrone could be delayed.

However, it seems that the government have found a way around this problem.

They have appointed a dentist, a pharmacist, and a Professor of Phytochemistry to the committee in record time – this morning, just hours after Polly Taylor’s resignation.

The new appointees are; Mr Hew Mathewson CBE, dentist and former President and Chair of the General Dental Council; Mrs Gillian Arr-Jones, pharmacist and Chief Pharmacist for the Care Quality Commission; and, Professor Simon Gibbons, Professor of Phytochemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of London.

The Home Secretary has apparently taken legal advice on the necessity for filling the role of veterinary consultant and been advised that ‘Since Ms Taylor had already had the opportunity to give her input on the issue of Mephedrone, and since Mephedrone has no legitimate veterinary use, then the committee is still correctly constituted and able to rush out give a response to the recent deaths in which Mephedrone has been implicated as planned today’……I quote verbatim from a conversation with a government press officer seeking to explain to me how a Dentist could stand in for the required Veterinarian.

The 1971 (Misuse of Drugs) Act is very clear that before the government criminalises thousands of people by banning a drug they must take advice on drug harm and other matters from a legally constituted advisory council.

This caper originated in the allegations that two teenagers died after possibly taking Mephedrone shortly before their death. There has, as yet, been no official confirmation that this legal high is what they had taken.

That the drug is currently legal is reinforced by the week-end news that one of the most prominent dealers in Meow-Meow, as it is known on the street, is the son of Labour MP Louise Ellman. Sean Ellman has a string of shops in the North-East doing a roaring trade in meow-meow and other ‘legal highs’.

In 2004, some 150 teenagers died as a result of either driving or being a passenger in a car – did we ban motor cars? Nope. Did we even ban teenagers from driving or being a passenger in a motor car? Nope.

There must be an election imminent. Ministers are trying to flood the airwaves with evidence of how much they are doing to protect us, even when they are not sure that there is anything we need to be protected from.

1
Antisthenes March 29, 2010 at 14:11

Why any drug of this type is illegal or any other type that people want get high on beats me. It does not stop people using them and it and it’s illegality is responsible for about 70% of crime. The arguments that legalising the use of drug taking encourages it’s use is fatuous as countries that have more liberal laws can attest.

2
Anon 00:32 March 29, 2010 at 14:13

The two teenagers who died had also consumed alcohol and methadone (the opioid stuff dispensed to heroin addicts), a lethal cocktail. That was the likely cause of death, meow (a stimulant) probably keep them alive a bit longer.

3
Vimes March 29, 2010 at 14:49

Come, come – let’s not let common sense get in the way of a populist gesture. Careful, now – down with this sort of thing!

4
Mark March 29, 2010 at 17:22

it cant be the mephedrone that killed them because ive taken it a few times myself and have bin fine on it, if they drunk alcahol and mephedone along with mephedrone then thats not a good mixture, we all know u dont mix drugs with alcahol, it is a lethal killer, i never drink and do drugs at the same time just plenty of water

5
M MAN March 29, 2010 at 19:40

The press have done a great job, demand for the product went through the roof in the last six weeks ! Most people are aware that other well known lethal drugs have mixed in a cocktail are the most likley cause of death, not one single case proven, now drug dealers are going to get very rich, the product will get mixed with all sorts of agents that DO KILL.
Demand will not go away, awareness at a great high. Now see how the media deal with suspected deaths after the ban???
A big pat on the back you head line grabbing SC*M and another for the spineless government.
I Am off to use the sunbed.

6
D-Gen March 29, 2010 at 21:56

All This Hassle Over Mephedrone Is Unnessecery, People Will Not Stop Taking It No Matter How Much The Goverment Pushes A Ban, I, For One Of The Many People Out There, Will Be Very Dissapointed In The Goverment If They Ban Mephedrone.
It Is Not The Mephedrone Itself That Kills, It Is The Fact That People Mix Drugs, THAT My Fellow People, Is The REAL Killer. Are The Goverment Blind To This Fact? Or Must They Continue To Tighten Their Grip On Our Socieity?
It Is My Firm Beleif That There Are People Out There Who Genrally Use Mephedrone To Grow Plants, How Will They React If A Ban Is Carried Out? A Ban Will Only Increase The Use Of The Product And The Crime Rate.
And Could Someone Please Explain What The Hell A Dentist Has To Do With This? I Do Not Recall Mephedrone Being Eaten To Get High Or Kill.

7
blastproof@rocketmail.com March 30, 2010 at 04:43

I have just unsubscribed from Old Holborn as he is a child-hater and is boring. I am thinking I should unsubscribe from annaracoon not for her child-hating but for her boringness. The thing about the blogosphere is that it’s more boring than politics or the Royle Family.

8
g1lgam3sh March 30, 2010 at 20:33

“I have just unsubscribed from Old Holborn as he is a child-hater and is boring. I am thinking I should unsubscribe from annaracoon not for her child-hating but for her boringness. The thing about the blogosphere is that it’s more boring than politics or the Royle Family.”

I’m sure you’ll be missed…hahahahahahahaha