Tynwald has voted in favour of making Methoxetamine (known as mexxy) a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1976.  The move, which came during its June sitting, will see the substance effectively classified as a Class C drug, with the ban coming into force on Sunday, 1st July 2012.
 
Minister for Health, David Anderson MHK said: “As last year’s tragic death from the separate ‘legal high’ MDAI demonstrated, these substances need to be taken extremely seriously.  I hope this move will send a strong signal that taking these substances is very dangerous indeed.  This legislation is in place to protect the public and I hope that by making this move and raising awareness, we can prevent the very sad circumstances where serious harm can arise as a result of using ‘legal highs’ for recreational drug use.”
 
The move follows similar measures in the UK, which saw the drug become a controlled substance as of 5th April 2012, however the ban in the UK was not automatically applied in the Isle of Man.  The ban is temporary, having been supported by the Isle of Man Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), which is now awaiting the outcome of an investigation into Methoxetamine by the UK’s ACMD, ordered earlier this year by the UK’s Home Office.  The Chair of the Island’s ACMD attends the UK ACMD meetings, which means that the Department of Health is kept fully updated on the progress of this work.
 
Those who want more information or advice about legal highs and other drugs can contact the Drug Advice Service and Helpline (DASH) on 615622, visit their website www.drugs.org.im or they can visit the Crash Test Tim website at www.crashtest.im; both services are confidential.