A COMMUNITY safety chief has slammed a ‘horrendous’ legal highs website that sold the Adver a Class B drug.
Yesterday we reported how a product called Jolly Green Granules contained a substance which was banned in 2010.
Swindon has been hit by a wave of health problems – thought to have included several deaths – related to legal highs.
The Wide Mouth Frogs website, which sold the Adver three products, is said to be a popular supplier among users.
Richard Palusinski, head of Swindon Community Safety Partnership, said: “The thing that really terrifies me about that website is they offer gift certificates.
“How awful is that?
“It says all over the website the products are not safe for human consumption and if ingested seek medical help, but that’s simply to satisfy a legal requirement.
“They know full well why people are buying it, so to actually put on gift vouchers is horrendous. Where’s the moral stance in that?
“They know what it’s being used for, and they’ll quite happily let people die.”
The Adver was sold a gram each of methiopropamine (MPA), methoxetamine (MXE) and a product called Jolly Green Granules.
The substances were analysed in a laboratory by drug identification specialist Tic Tac Communications.
The tests showed the MPA and MXE were both uncontrolled, while the granules contained 4-methylethcathinone (4-MEC), a Class B substance banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2010.
The Great Western Hospital has registered a surge in admissions related to legal highs since August.
The hospital is now looking into setting up an identification service for the subtances.
Dr Charlotte Kelly, an A&E consultant at the hospital, said: “I’m looking at setting up with the poisons unit to see if we can start testing what people are coming in with.
“There’s Eric 3, for example, but the substance is coming from different places. In many cases it’s not what Eric 3 is supposed to be, it’s either slightly different or a whole mush of other stuff.
“There is a funding issue in getting people tested, but I suspect if we did, we would find a bit of everything.”
Patients would be tested in the hospital, but the samples would be sent elsewhere to identify what substances were being taken.
Dr Kelly added: “I am in contact with the poisons unit in Newcastle and the Health Protection Agency and they’re quite keen for us to start testing because we’re a hot-spot here. It would make us national experts, but in many ways that’s already happened.”
The website did not respond to a request for comment.
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