Brake takes 'Your High' to Westminster

9.43.03am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 14th Oct 2008

Tom Brake, the MP for Carshalton and Wallington, has taken the issue of 'Your High,' the head shop selling drugs paraphernalia in Wallington direct to the Minister of State at the Home Office, Vernon Coaker MP, demanding to know what the government plans to do to prevent drugs paraphernalia being sold openly and legally.

In a debate on anti-drug awareness last Tuesday in Parliament Tom stated;

"There is clearly a huge inconsistency when cannabis is illegal … but there are shops that are in the business of promoting and selling the materials that people need to consume it."

The Minister could only respond with "I am told that, legally, action is difficult, but we are considering the matter to try to find a way forward. We have funded police guidance and have considered the policing of head shops. Work is ongoing in that respect."

If the government is serious about its programmes for dealing with the growing problems of drug and alcohol abuse by children in this country it must act upon these paraphernalia shops which currently have no age restriction on who they can sell to.

"The Government is dropping the ball on the fight to protect our children from these peddlers of paraphernalia."

The petition against 'Your High' continues to grow with another hundred people signing it on Saturday morning in Wallington.

The full debate can be accessed through http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm081007/halltext/81007h0002.htm#08100731000492