The Polish government’s war on legal highs is doing worse than what was expected and imagined. Critics say that it was bound to happen, however. The authorities have decided targeting these legal highs and now the consequences are being felt in the country.

What’s the new draft about?

One of the main goals of the new war on these substances include sending people to prison for up to three years if they were caught possessing these substances.

By the way, this new draft law on the prevention of drug use was prepared by the country’s health ministry, announced last year November 13. It contains 41 pages with authors promising that the latest regulations are going to solve the growing problem on the substances. However, many critics have noted that they saw no sensible recommendations or suggestions on the long document. So, what is wrong?

Critics are saying that they could not grasp what the health ministry have been looking to fight. Although it stated fighting the new psychoactive substances (NPS), they could not figure out what the drafters really meant. The question, what specific problems are they really trying to address?

Other than the email by Milena Kruszewska, representative from the Ministry, saying that it (draft law) was made because of an urgent need of restricting both the circulation and production of the NPS and replacement substances, there is no clear suggestion in the new draft law.

And then, other question why there’s a need of restricting the trade around NPS, but they’re not presented any direct response as to why legal highs are becoming a cancer that is killing the youth and why it has to be eradicated.

And then, what’s the urgency or ‘emergency’ to which they’re referring? Is the issue because adults are using NPS? Well, they could say that, but why is that there is no ban in the use of alcohol for ages? Is it not another substance that has to be banned or eradicated if addiction is the concern of the authorities?

So, why is there no problem with alcohol drinking, and there is with smoking or sniffing psychoactive substances or taking party pills? Is it not a kind of hypocrisy that the government has regarding dealing with the main issues?

Look we’re not proponents of legal highs or promoting its culture. But if you’d see it from the practical side of things, you’d realize that there is more danger associated with banning its use. Think of underground markets selling these NPS, which potentially have added substances that no one would know. And if the legal suppliers and sellers of legit products would be closed, the people would resort to buying from the fake suppliers that would put their health and lives at risk. Plus, penalizing the possession would also hit the people that need DESPERATE HELP with their addiction.

So instead of a total ban or criminalizing users, why won’t the government look into the regulation of the market? There really has to be a real solution. Certainly, the new draft law isn’t addressing what should be really done to solve it, period.