A LEADING drug misuse expert has called for tough new measures to target those involved in the supply of 'legal high' drugs.

Professor Neil McKeganey believes that until there is a change in the law surrounding substances such as, Annihilation, the problem will increase.

His comments come after police issued a warning about the use of a legal high drug which has left nine people in hospital in the last three months.

Strathclyde Police said Annihilation, described as a herbal incense, is being used by youngsters in and around Glasgow.

However, there is currently a legal loophole which means there is no law banning the sale of such legal highs.

Widely available on the internet, substances such as Annihilation, are being produced at the rate of around one a week and there is little scope for experts to even identify what could be in the drug, before it is floods websites and shops.

Professor McKeganey, who runs independent research facility the Centre for Drug Misuse Research in the West End, said: "This is an issue which needs to be tackled and shows there is a loophole in our drugs legislation.

"We have to address this in an entirely different way to individual named substances such as heroin and cocaine. Legal highs such as Annihilation need to be banned as a whole. It is something which needs to be looked into at government level.

"If we had analogue legislation which bans similar substances it might help prevent the rapid spread. At the moment they are simply rapidly spreading across the internet and being sold at music festivals up and down the country.

"And each time they are being taken it is an experiment, it is only after an individual has taken them that there is some kind of idea of what the effects are."

Professor McKeganey described the situation as a "legal limbo" which needs to change first before police can take action.

He added: "There is clearly a money chain here from suppliers and marketers to shops selling them and until there is some kind of financial penalty, the consumption of these substances, of which we have no idea what is in them, will increase."

Annihilation can cause paranoia, aggression, increased heart rate, unconsciousness, self harming and numbness in the legs leading to users collapsing.

Since July, police said nine people had been admitted to hospital after using Annihilation, including three friends who became ill when they took it together last Wednesday.

deborah.anderson@eveningtimes.co.uk