Two dangerous legal highs will be made illegal class-B drugs, with users facing up to five years in jail, ministers have said.
Mexxy and black mamba will be permanently banned after the government’s drug advisers found that they posed dangerous risks to health, crime prevention minister Jeremy Browne said.
“People who take ‘legal highs’ are taking serious risks with their lives because often they do not know what they are taking and the drugs may contain harmful substances,” he added.
The move comes after methoxetamine, or mexxy, was linked to two deaths and police warned of the “life-threatening effects” of black mamba.
As class-B substances under Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, users will face heavy fines and up to five years in prison; suppliers could be jailed for up to 14 years.
Mr Browne said: ““The UK is addressing the harm caused by ‘legal highs’.”