Legal high 'bubbles' drug banned by Aberdeen pub and club owners

Published on Tuesday 16 February 2010 21:59

PUB and club owners in one of Scotland's major cities yesterday joined forces to outlaw a "legal high" drug linked recently with the death of a woman in Fife.

The pioneering ban on customers caught in possession of mephedrone – a recreational drug which is also known "bubbles" – is being imposed by pubs and clubs in Aberdeen which are member of Unight, an initiative launched a year ago to stamp out the use of drugs, violence and weapons in city centre venues.

A woman died at a house in Dunfermline last month after she was thought to have taken "bubbles". The drug's main ingredient is mephedrone, which is not a controlled substance and can be made from plant food.

Mark Donlevy, the chairman of Unight, said: "There has been a lot of concern about this drug across the country, even though it is not a controlled drug.

He added: "This ban sends a clear message that we will not tolerate drugs of any kind and anyone caught with mephedrone will face a ban – not just from one establishment, but all of them."

Detective Inspector Andy Imray, the substance misuse co- ordinator with Grampian Police, said: "Unfortunately, the substance is uncontrolled and relatively easy to acquire – and many people think the dangers of the drug are minimal because of this."