Containing at least one chemical substance that produces the same effects like those from illegal drugs, such as cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy, legal highs, according to FRANK, are new substances uncontrolled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. But there is insufficient data backing up claims about their adverse effects and potency for human consumption, or when used in combination with alcohol and other substances.

As published at Legal Highs Guru "Two Legal Highs Being Discovered Every Week," there is a growing number of NPS becoming available worldwide, indicating that the synthetic drugs market is diversifying." In fact, there are 324 new psychoactive substances that have come to the attention of drug agencies in a span of the last five years.

There are more NPS being researched to find out what their dangers are and to discover if these drugs must be categorized as illegal. But while research and studies are still ongoing, the "Psychoactive Substances Bill" is making its way through the Parliament with the proposed blanket ban on legal highs.

In an article published at GOV.UK, the government has accepted the advice of the ACMD to put a temporary class drug order on five compounds linked with Methylphenidate (Class B Drug), because of concerns about their misuse as NPS. However, the ACMD discovered that there are two related substances sold online being replacements for the first five controlled legal highs in April this year. And the list on banned NPS keeps on going...

Briefly, legal highs are not sold for human consumption, meaning people should not use them the same way that illegal drugs are used—to achieve effects, including euphoria, hallucination and so on.  In this case, safety still begins with the ‘person’ because he’s the one who is to make the final decision on legal highs, with or without a proposed blanket ban on them.