Edinburgh is the first city to crack down on legal highs

Eight shops have already handed over substances voluntarily


More than £50,000 worth of legal highs have been handed over by Edinburgh shop owners to the Trading Standards last week after the Sheriff Court ruled them to be “unsafe”.

In a crackdown that has been called the first of its kind in Scotland, 13 shops known to sell new psychoactive substances in the city limits have been targeted by Edinburgh police. Of those 13, eight shops have already handed in them of their own accord.

This operation commenced after the local council was granted an NPS forfeiture order by the Sheriff Court. The order is being treated as a serious priority by the police.

Chief Superintendent Mark Williams of Police Scotland called it an attempt “to protect people from substances that are not safe.”

“We have made it clear to a number of premises that if they do not comply with this order they can expect to face further action, including prosecution.”

 Such a swift comedown on the sales of these substances is unsurprising following comments made by Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell who called Edinburgh “the legal high capital of the UK” and labelled NPS as the reason behind a rise in “violent and sexual crimes” and an increase in attempted murders.