Taking Flakka Drug In Malta Will Be Illegal As Of Next Week
Several synthetic drugs, including the notorious ‘Zombie Drug’ Flakka, will be criminalised in Malta as of next week, One News has announced.
A legal notice will outlaw three synthetic psychostimulants – namely Alpha-PVP, colloquially known as Flakka, as well as 4,4-DMAR and methoxetamine.
The new law is an attempt by the Maltese government to clamp down on the phenomenon of ‘bath salts’ and ‘legal highs’, which experts have warned has skyrocketed in recent years. Although their side effects are often as severe, if not more so, than scheduled drugs, their legal status means police have so far been unable to prosecute anyone caught using or selling it.
Health minister Chris Fearne announced in September that he was planning to change the law so as to allow the authorities to criminalise entire psychoactive compounds of drugs as soon as they appear on the market.
“We acknowledge the prevalence of illegally manufactured and illegally imported synthetic drugs in Malta, and stress the use of such drugs can result in serious health problems,” he said.
Health minister Chris Fearne has pledged to criminalise Flakka
The most notorious of these new drugs is Flakka- a synthetic bath salt that resembles cocaine in that it comes in white powder, but is extremely cheap; 0.5g can be bought for around €10 in Malta.
It gives users the stimulant effects of cocaine but also the hallucinogenic effects of psychedelics, and its symptoms can be devastating. Indeed, users across the world have been reported running naked through traffic, throwing themselves at car windows or off balconies, and attempting to perform sex acts on trees.
Psychiatrist Mark Xuereb, who runs a private crisis resolution team, has warned many Flakka users are unaware of what they are actually consuming, as drug dealers are mixing the cheaper substance with cocaine.
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