Moral Panic: Head Shops

In this post I will discuss a recent moral panic that resulted in new legislations been introduced. Head shops. In February last year this issue arose. Headlines such as ‘Doctors' fears as head shops force coke prices down WARNING: New plea for urgent ban on legal highs’ and ‘Head shop legal high almost killed this 17-year-old’ caused public uproar to get these shops shut down. The stores sell legal substitutes to such drugs as cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy and their paraphernalia. Product such as Spice, Blow and Whack sold at a fraction of the price of the illegal equivalent and give very similar effects.

Reports of cases where people suffered from hallucinations and anxiety after taking these legal highs from head shops drowned the media. Protests were held in towns all over the country.

But not only did this cause upheaval among concerned parents and the like but also notified drug dealers about these cheap substitutes. Head shops everywhere were targeted by these drug lords who were determined to get rid of their competitors. Various arson attacks were reported in stores on Capel street, Dundalk and Sligo but to name a few.




Eventually in May 2010 a new law was introduced to ban the sale of psychoactive drugs. Which fair enough removes them from their original shelves but realistically its simply pushing the whole issue underground. So now these users are just waiting for someone to find a loophole for other legal substitutes or of course buy illegally which I'm sure is happening. But as long as tits kept under wraps out of the media keep the public at bay until the next frenzy.