Banned psychoactive substances available for purchase online - report

PanARMENIAN.Net - A new report has found that many banned psychoactive substances are available for purchase online. Researchers found that curiosity and availability were the main reasons people consumed products bought in head shops.

Ireland’s National Advisory Committee on Drugs says vigilance is needed to monitor new substances, which may come onto the market. Since legislation to counter the sale of psychoactive substances last year, over 90 head shops around the country have closed.

This report examines what was in the products being sold in these stores, what was known about their effects and possible responses to the issues surrounding supply and use of the substances.

Users tended to have a history of illegal drug use. While many reported negative side effects, just 1.5% of respondents sought medical or psychological help as a result.

Researchers at Dublin Institute of Technology have found many banned substances are still readily available for purchase over the internet, with some now being sold as food products, RTE News reports.

In Armenia, 1717 drug addicts were registered in 2009, their number increasing to 2715 in 2010; 2009 unofficial data reports 4000-5000 intravenous drug addicts.

Drugs are gaining popularity among the youth. The majority of drug addicts are aged 30-35, according to Grigor Malentsyan, the head of Support to Integrated Border Management Systems in the South Caucasus (SCIBM) program.

About 100000 people in Armenia have used drugs at least once in their life.