Legal Internet Drugs Worry Police

Police say that new internationally trendy drugs have made their appearance in Finland, mainly through Internet sales. Kratom and Spice are intoxicants that have become widely available online. Although police are concerned about the spread of these drugs, they are powerless to stop the trade, as neither is yet classed as a controlled substance. Purchase and imports are still legal, but medical officials have warned buyers against trusting online information about the safety of designer drugs. Producers of designer drugs keep one step ahead of the law. New mixtures appear constantly. Right now new favourites in this trade are Kratom, Spice and Blue Lotus. All three are intoxicants that have become widely available online. Although police are concerned about the spread of these drugs, they are powerless to stop the trade, as they are not yet classed as controlled substances. "We are familiar with a whole range of this kind of mysterious jumble of letters that have been ordered through the Internet and they always lead to a few poisonings every year," says Kalle Hoppu, Chief Physician and Director at Finland's Poison Information Centre. The Poison Information Centre's telephone advisory service is often faced with the problem of a user mixing new drugs with alcohol or of older drugs being used in new ways. Since many newer drugs are not classed as controlled substances, police cannot interfere with the online trade. The National Bureau of Investigation does report that it has received several requests to start formal investigations. For now, however, packages containing the new intoxicants can move freely in the post. Kalle Hoppu warns against trusting online information about these new drugs. "From time to time medical journals have reviewed the information online and found in the mix information that could be life threatening." YLE