Drug Paraphernalia Street Sales Banned (U.K)

[Sky Walker]

Drug paraphernalia street sales banned.


Crack pipes’ and ‘bongs’ are among a list of drugs paraphernalia that should disappear from the streets of Camden, north London from April 2006, after community complaints.

Camden Council has produced a list of items related to drugs misuse that will no longer be allowed for sale on the streets and in markets. The change will come in force from 1 April when all of the borough’s Street Trading Licences are renewed.

The move is part of a campaign to reduce drug-related anti-social behaviour, particularly in and around Camden Town. A crackdown launched in January this year has already led to 24 arrests for people offering cannabis. Evidence is being gathered for around 40 ASBOs to improve the quality of life for the community and set boundaries of behaviour for the perpetrator.

A letter has been sent to all Street Traders to let them know about the change. Around 350 licensed traders in Camden (50 forecourt traders and 300 street traders) are likely to be affected.

Cllr Jake Sumner, Executive Member for Community Safety at Camden Council said: “Bongs, pipes and other drugs paraphernalia fuel the climate of drug dealing and send out a message that it is ok. We, and the community, are saying very clearly that it is not. Banning drugs paraphernalia from being sold on the streets helps us to do this.

“Camden is a great place but let down by a minority of people who hassle everyone to buy drugs, regardless of their age. ‘Cannabis tourists’, who come from all over London and further, fuel this anti-social behaviour, making life a misery for residents, businesses and visitors.”

Alex Proud, Director of Proud Galleries and Vice Chair of Camden Town Unlimited (representing 300 businesses in Camden Town) added: “Whilst keeping its youth, sense of originality and sheer excitement is vital for the success of the future health of Camden Town and the market, drugs paraphernalia and drugs play absolutely zero part in this. Drugs, youth and creativity do not have to go together. Long may Camden market remain full of multi-cultural vitality and chaos, but let’s hope drugs play no part.”

Inspector John Daly said, "The Camden Town Police Team continue to work with the community and our partners to remove the drugs culture image which seems to have blighted Camden Town at this time. By working together we have successfully reduced overall crime in the area and are now turning our attention to the anti-social behaviour arising from the drugs market."

All local authorities have the power to decide what goods can be sold from licensed street trading pitches, under the London Local Authorities Act.



The banned items are all linked with drug use. The banned items include:


Cannabis incense products including sticks and cones

Cannabis and hemp lollies

Clay (which can be used for making crack pipes)

Glass pipes

Herbal mixes

Herbs, Cacti or Fungi (or any part of them), In any form eg dried, processed cuttings etc

Pipes

Products containing nitrite compounds e.g. liquid gold, tnt, pure gold, rise

Tobacco and non-tobacco blunts

Weed boards

Tablets or capsules containing a stimulant.

http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content...d=aompuG1L0BBb

[Nature Boy]

Woah! Talk about authoritarianism. I'm surprised how easily they can enforce something like this and how they can blanket over almost everything that they don't see fit. Utterly disgraceful and pointless too because people looking for their headshop goods will just buy them elsewhere in London.

[turkeyphant]

Exactly what Nature Boy said. This is pointless and uninforcable. I have questions with just about every item in that list, not least cannabis incense. How exactly is that paraphernalia?

Also, I don't understand the article completely. Does this mean that the items above will still be sold in the brick and mortar shops behind the street stalls? If so, it's even more pointless.

While it's a good idea to get rid of the mindless pushers on Camden's streets, I can't see how this is going to help at all. What's more, I'd be surprised if there's a single resident, business or visitor who would favour these plans, let alone one who thinks that selling poppers makes their life a "misery".

[Micklemouse]

I can sort of understand the local council not wanting paraphernalia or 'legal highs' being sold on an outdoor market place, but since when has clay been paraphernalia? Clay! Fer fooks sake! Why not ban the sale of aluminium soft drinks cans while they're at it, 'cos everyone knows the only reason the youth of today drink Coke or Fanta is so they can make a pipe to smoke crack with when they're done.

Reputation Comments on this post:

lol good point!!!

[FrankenChrist]

I have been to Camden. It reminded me of Amsterdam in some ways. (canals, shady black people pushing drugs ...)

I have seen all the aforementioned items, including the nitrites.

I am surprised they are suddenly so harsh. This is un-British.

[turkeyphant]

Originally Posted by FrankenChrist

This is un-British.

Given recent events and not-so-recent events, it's very British indeed.

[Alfa]

I think this is a good thing. The guys/kids at the Camden stalls I have encountered have no respect for the things they are selling. No knowledge and they are trying to sell hardcore psychedelics to anyone who even glimps at their stand. Remeber that these stalls have played an important part in mushrooms getting banned in the UK.

[Nature Boy]

You make a good point Alfa but in all fairness what about the other stuff? Banning the sales of cannabis incense, lollipops, clay, blunt wrappers etc. isn't going to help anyone. It's just a nuisance if anything.

[Alfa]

I disagree. These stalls are in peoples face and make effort to get into peoples faces. The items listed are part of that. When I saw these stalls I was amazed that this was possible in the UK. You sure as hell couldn't pull that off in the Netherlands. Even in Amsterdam there is more restriction. Here is one of them on the High Street.

Hey mister do you want some ayahuasca or Fly Agaric? They'll make you high and is very cheap. I make special price.

[turkeyphant]

Originally Posted by Alfa

Hey mister do you want some ayahuasca or Fly Agaric? They'll make you high and is very cheap. I make special price.

I have never seen them selling Ayahuasca but you make a very cogent argument. However, I have seen them being overzealous in vending unprocessed cacti (in inactive doses) and fly argaric and the lack of harm reduction information, general advice and responsiblity does concern me. It's obviously all about a quick buck above and beyond anything else. However, I'd prefer to see regulations on stronger substances rather than a blanket ban on clay and candy.

[Nature Boy]

I suppose I would have to see it for myself to hold a proper opinion. The British have a tendancy to milk everything to the point of ridicule. All one needs to do is take a look at the pathetic excuse for media that are the tabloid newspapers.

[turkeyphant]

On a somewhat related note, I'm surprised they haven't stopped pushing N2O into people's faces on the high street yet. They do it and blatantly flaunt the Medicines Act when selling it at festivals yet there have been no crackdowns I've heard of. Until big companies started aggressively selling at commercial festivals and events, N2O was not in any jeopardy at all.

[FrankenChrist]

Originally Posted by turkeyphant

On a somewhat related note, I'm surprised they haven't stopped pushing N2O into people's faces on the high street yet. They do it and blatantly flaunt the Medicines Act when selling it at festivals yet there have been no crackdowns I've heard of. Until big companies started aggressively selling at commercial festivals and events, N2O was not in any jeopardy at all.

That is another thing in the UK that surprised me. In many clubs balloons are sold. I have even seen them at on campus uni parties.

[turkeyphant]

Originally Posted by FrankenChrist

That is another thing in the UK that surprised me. In many clubs balloons are sold. I have even seen them at on campus uni parties.

I suspect it's to do with most authorities (and indeed, vendors) having no clue about the legal status of this compound. However, with certain unscrupulous commercial parties being ever more blatant, a memo's soon going to be sent round the Home Office and local constabularies. Idiots.

[Alicia]

These are perhaps the people that are to greedy only sell on like alfa stated with no respect or care for the product/person beeing sold. Once again classic britishness at it best. if this made any sense...

[Fantasian]

Are you sure this has taken effect, i went down to Camden a few weeks ago and there were still many stalls selling, various "legal" drugs.

Also ive been to various clubs in manchester and uni parties which as close as only yesterday were selling and giving out free nitrous oxide.

Has this all really taken effect?

[Nature Boy]

Samuel Colt (inventor of the Colt revolver which he ripped off from some English inventor and the first person to mass produce his product, yes before Henry Ford) used to go around giving out free nitrous oxide. He made a public show out of it.

[FrankenChrist]

Originally Posted by Nature Boy

Samuel Colt (inventor of the Colt revolver which he ripped off from some English inventor and the first person to mass produce his product, yes before Henry Ford) used to go around giving out free nitrous oxide. He made a public show out of it.

I confirm. I think I read about it in Bill Bryson's a Short History of Nearly Everything (a masterpiece, btw ). In Britain, there even was a serious academic society devoted to the pleasures of the gas.

Swim had his first ever share in a shitty club in England and suddenly realised why they used to call it hippy crack.

[Beeker]

In the US we put Tommy Chong in jail for glass art. Things are going to get ugly in the UK soon. I haven't seen LSD in years!

Now I just see methed out zombies walking around Wal-Mart at 3:00am.

[Fantasian]

Just to note, SWIF only just returned from Leeds Festival one of the biggest festivals in the UK. The was only one Herbal high stall and it was very discreet as oppose to last year where there were over 10 very obvious stalls. Maybe this is really taking effect! The store was selling various piperzines, nitrous oxide and poppers all for rediculous prices.

[turkeyphant]

Originally Posted by Fantasian

Just to note, SWIF only just returned from Leeds Festival one of the biggest festivals in the UK. The was only one Herbal high stall and it was very discreet as oppose to last year where there were over 10 very obvious stalls. Maybe this is really taking effect! The store was selling various piperzines, nitrous oxide and poppers all for rediculous prices.

I didn't see the branded Herbal Highs stall at all at this year's Reading. Apparantly it was at V Festival last week though.

I thought Herbal Highs had stopped selling nitrous oxide too. Last year it had a massive bright orange stall booming out shit music and had a couple of massive tanks of the stuff which it ended up selling almost exclusively. At this year's Glade there was no sign of any nitrous vending from stalls at all. Similarly, I didn't see any official nitrous outlets at Reading this year.

[turkeyphant]

On a related note, I have no idea how these vendors are continuing to get away with their sales of controlled substances such a piperazines (and, indeed, nitrous oxide). Although the legal status has been clarified, it seems that police forces are still in the dark about the precise details and wouldn't know what to do anyway. Blatant piperazine sales are still continuing across the country.

Nitrous oxide sales on the other hand have been cut back, possibly by the vendors themselves. It was much more blatant and well known and they were getting very greedy with the prices they charged for something very addictive in the short term. Incidentally, nitrous oxide was not allowed to be sold only brought in for personal use at this year's Glade Festival. Conversely, while nothing was said about it at Reading, the security had obviously been briefed about it. Twice SWIM was chased by onsite security (much greater presence this year) after being caught selling nitrous. Two obviously bullshit reasons were "fire hazard" and "need a liscense to sell things at the festival". They attempted to confiscate the crackers and cartridges as well as eject SWIM from the festival site. Luckily it was oversold horribly this year so there were big crowds to get lost in and it wouldn't exactly be hard to get into the site anyway...

[Alfa]

The Police can't do anything about medicines. It's the MHRA which raids vendors. Right now they are going after the larger companies, but will probably take on the smaller ones soon.

[turkeyphant]

Originally Posted by Alfa

The Police can't do anything about medicines. It's the MHRA which raids vendors. Right now they are going after the larger companies, but will probably take on the smaller ones soon.

Okay, thanks for letting me know. What likelihood is there of them taking action against individuals?

[Alfa]

They will most likely only go after vendors, not consumers.