The Courier today has a front-page spread about current events concerning Partay Patrol and the controversial substances that are on sale there. The article that appeared in the Nairnshire alerted the community to what was on sale in the shop and highlighted the very serious concerns of parents, their article too pointed out that the authorities were powerless to do anything. It was something that needed saying at the time and the Community were grateful for the investigative journalism of Iain Ramage.
At the River Community Council meeting on Wednesday night the subject was discussed at length and Sgt Erskine of the Northern Constabulary responded as best he could to questions from the floor of the meeting. One concern raised was that there was anecdotal evidence that people are starting to come to Nairn just to visit this shop, and that any publicity in the future would simply encourage that trend, although word of mouth too also has its own dynamic it had to be admitted.
One wonders now if anyone from Inverness will read today's front page Courier piece and head through to purchase a sachet of "legal highs". The Courier also has an editorial: "Time to take 'legal highs' off the shelves" which takes a strong moral standpoint. Of course the Courier has a right to report the issue, the cat is out of the bag so to speak as regards to Partay Patrol and it probably won't be long before it appears in the Scottish editions of national newspapers. The recent theft from the shop appeared on the BBC site and was re-tweeted by some on that particular social network, sometimes with frivolous comments added about our town. The Courier has some information however that illustrates the potential of the trade in legal highs. They state that "500 packets of herbal incense, some costing £25, and identified by police as legal highs..." were stolen.
The Courier has moralised in the editorial, the article may help sell a few newspapers. also alert many parents, but it may also inadvertently help the shopkeeper sell a few more of his products.
Running this article in the Gurn may also help with raising the profile of the shop and it's products. The alternative would be a news blackout which would seem to me to be an over reaction
ReplyDeleteThere's a tinge of hypercritical here in terms of objections to legal highs.
As a society we have woken up to the harm which tobacco and alcohol levies on individuals, and to that end the Scottish government have brought in somewhat controversial controls to try and curb consumption of both products. But I wonder as to how many folk who object to legal highs smoke or drink themselves? Why is it that the drug alcohol is ok but legal highs are not. Far more harm comes from alcohol and I suspect that future generations will avoid it, this we've already seen from figures suggesting that young people are drinking less
Legal highs are always going to be one step ahead of the law as the content can easily be changed, so that as one chemical becomes illegal another can replace it
Just like alcohol and tobacco is it not through education that we should tackle the issue rather than hysterical reaction?
Interesting how The Gurn responded to the original story with censorship and a pro stance towards the shop and the products sold.
ReplyDeleteNow that Queen Liz has jumped in and spoken against the selling of this product, will Gurn now follow her example or, as I suspect, does he have a dog in this fight?
@Bob Thanks for your comment Bob, an interesting interpetation of Gurn articles. I hadn't realised that the article could be interpreted as pro this shop.
ReplyDeleteAs for Liz "jumping in" she commented in the original Nairnshire article too.
Yes, sometimes comments don't get on the Gurn just as not everything sent to Newspapers is printed for various reasons. If you think you are being censored please accept a full refund.
I could be wrong but having read the Gurn for some years it tends not to publish very much about crime, and maybe the post about the break in at the Partay shop was because it was on the High St
ReplyDeleteAs for the shop itself. An item that they sell is 'legal highs', note the word 'legal'
I'm not sure as to why there is such a fuss. Such products are freely available to buy on-line, and with no age restriction that the shop now has in place.
Maybe for some people anything outwith their norm is too difficult to comprehend
May I through The Freedom of Information Act kindly ask how many full refunds The Gurn has paid out in the year 2012?
ReplyDelete@Just Askin
ReplyDeleteDunno the answer but here's hoping that the Gurn has just issued another one!
@ Just asking, we do not keep a record of the number of full refunds but there have been quite a few over the years.
ReplyDeletere Crime: thankfully we live in Disneyland compared to some communities and the police clear up rate of crimes reported usually stands around 68% in this area.
Anyone concerned about the effects of the stuff being sold in the shop or drugs and alcohol in general could do well to visit the Nairn Academy website which has some very useful information that will be helpful to some older people as well as those of school age. . Link to Nairn Academy page here.
Nickel and Dime freely sell what might be considered drugs paraphernalia (large cigarette papers) but I've never heard anyone comment or object to those items being on sale
ReplyDeletePeople will take drugs period, including legal highs
Isn't it time that such drugs as cannabis were made legal or at least decriminalised so that legal highs would not seem so attractive
Many countries that have a more relaxed attitude to drugs have less of a drug problem than the UK
Mr Annon, let me walk you through it. Sure it is legal to sell these products, that is not the issue.
ReplyDeleteThe issue is simple. These products contain chemicals which if taken for human consumption will create some kind of mind altering experience, usually a pleasant experience. BUT, taking these chemicals for human consumption is not only dangerous, but sometimes LETHAL. Thats right, it could KILL the person.
Now, here the real issue. This shop is stocking and selling these chemicals KNOWING they will be used for human consumption and most likely by the youths of Nairn.
Its not about whats legal or illegal, its not about what drugs can/should be taken legally, its about a local shop selling dangerous products to the younger generation knowing they will use them to "get high" and possibly suffer dangerous or fatal consequences.
I hope this has cleared this up for you.
Mr Nairn Parent, let me walk you through it and substitute alcohol (a drug you might well consume yourself) for legal highs
ReplyDeleteSure it is legal to sell these products (alcohol), that is not the issue.
The issue is simple. These products (alcohol) contain poison which if taken for human consumption will create some kind of mind altering experience, usually a pleasant experience. BUT, taking alcohol for human consumption is not only dangerous, but sometimes LETHAL. Thats right, alcohol could KILL the person.
Now, here the real issue. Shops (Co-op, Sainsbury's come to mind in Nairn) are stocking and selling these poisons KNOWING they will be used for human consumption and most likely by the youths of Nairn.
Its not about whats legal or illegal, its not about what alcohol can/should be taken legally, its about local shops selling dangerous products to the younger generation knowing they will use them to "get drunk" and possibly suffer dangerous or fatal consequences.
I hope this has cleared this up for you.
Anon
Nick Clegg is quoted:
ReplyDelete""After all, this is a war, the war on drugs, in which over 2,000 people are losing their lives in Britain every year, in which one in five 11 to 15-year-olds in this country now say they're trying drugs, where young people now are telling us that it's easier to get hold of drugs than it is to get hold of alcohol or tobacco."
and the BBC go on to say: "Official figures show that drug use in England and Wales is at its lowest rate under current measurements since 1996.
However, there is concern over the growth and prevalence of "legal highs", some of which have been subsequently banned, amid a recorded rise in deaths linked to their use."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20720122
With the legal drug alcohol up to 10,000 people are losing their lives in Britain every year
ReplyDeleteThe problem is much worse in Scotland than the rest of the UK where the death rate per head of population is much higher, and yet alcohol is legal, openly advertised, and is seen by the majority of the population as ok
If people are going to jump up and down over legal highs why are they not jumping much higher with regard to the much more dangerous legal drug alcohol?
Is it because alcohol is acceptable whereas legal highs are not
A drug is any substance that when taken produces physical or psychological changes in a person. When people hear the term “drug” they often associate it with those substances that are illegal such as cannabis, speed or heroin. However, the definition of drug spans to include more commonly used substances such as alcohol, tobacco and caffeine as well as prescription and over the counter medications.
ReplyDeletemore here
http://www.sentiens.com/Drugs-and-Alcohol/Drugs-and-alcohol/
ReplyDelete'More middle-aged people are dying from drug misuse'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/more-middleaged-people-are-dying-from-drug-misuse-8196883.html
NHS Choices
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/drugs/Pages/Drugshome.aspx
'Legal highs are substances used like illegal drugs such as cocaine or cannabis, but not covered by current misuse of drugs laws, and so legal to possess or to use.
Although these drugs are marketed as legal substances, this doesn’t mean that they are safe or approved for people to use. It just means that they’ve not been declared illegal to use and possess. They are still normally considered illegal to sell under medicines legislation'
more at
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/drugs/Pages/legalhighs.aspx
I'm not entirely sure how much overlap there is between readership of the Courier and users of Legal Highs to be honest.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't put much to the rumours of people coming to Nairn for the sole purpose of using that shop, most towns seem to have some form of head shop where you can buy this stuff. If not there, then it's easy enough to order online with pretty quick delivery.
Thanks for covering the continuing story, very interesting seeing the goings on in the old home town.
re 50 not 500 can you contact the Gurn via e-mail to verify please?
ReplyDeleteMr nairn Parent, I don't know where you get your information from but I think you'll find it's not JUST the younger generation who buy these products, many people of all ages, all occupations and backgrounds buy these products which have been and probably will be around for a long time.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't be such a issue if it wasn't for the publicity. And as for they can KILL you and they are LETHAL then anyone with the sense wouldn't buy them as they say, NOT for Human consumption.
BUT the people who buy it, Do it because they can and want. After all they are legal!
I would just like to say, these products have been on the go for many years, it has been more popular because if publicity. the fact that people are ending up in hospital is because of misuse they are not for human consumption. ie it says on the packet!!!! But what I do think is weird the only way their is a shop up north is because of high demand from the highlands. Aberdeen has about 5 shops maybe the further you go south the more their is. you need to stop complaining about it and move on or you may end up with further shops free publicity as I say.
ReplyDelete