Organisers of this summer's music festivals have been asked to warn revellers about the danger of "legal highs".
Festival organisers have been warned about "legal highs"
Minsister for crime prevention, Jame Brokenshire, has written to the organisers of festivals like Glastonbury and Latitude encouraging them to spread the message that drugs marketed as "safe" can still be highly dangerous.
He said: "During the festival season we know that people may be tempted to try potentially dangerous new drugs, particularly when they are advertised as 'legal' or 'herbal'.
"That is why we are asking festival organisers and police to work with us to send out the message that these substances may not be safe and could contain illegal drugs."
Drugs such as naphyrone, branded as NRG1 and sold as "plant food" or "bath salt", are growing in popularity but could contain one or more illegal drugs, the Home Office said.
In the letter, Mr Brokenshire asked organisers to review the measures they had in place to prevent drugs being sold and ensure the safety of the public.
Mephedrone has been banned after worries over its link to deaths
His advice has been welcomed by Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, which stages the Latitude, Big Chill and Reading and Leeds Festivals.
He said: "I can confirm that we do not allow legal high traders to trade at any Festival Republic festival and fully support the minister's view."
In the ongoing battle against ever-emerging new drugs, Mr Brokenshire confirmed the Government was seeking to change drug laws allowing substances to be temporarily banned while scientific tests were carried out.
The decision comes after mephedrone - a synthetic stimulant - was permanently banned following the deaths of two teenagers, only for later toxicology tests to find no trace of the substance in their blood.
The UK has the biggest online trade in legal highs in Europe and Chinese chemical factories that supply many of the substances claim they can come up with other chemical compounds to skirt round British laws.
In a Sky investigation, Jacky Wu, director of Chinese company Chemchallenger Biotech admitted: "There are thousands of these substances. There are new ones coming out all the time."
Festival organisers have been warned about "legal highs"
Minsister for crime prevention, Jame Brokenshire, has written to the organisers of festivals like Glastonbury and Latitude encouraging them to spread the message that drugs marketed as "safe" can still be highly dangerous.
He said: "During the festival season we know that people may be tempted to try potentially dangerous new drugs, particularly when they are advertised as 'legal' or 'herbal'.
"That is why we are asking festival organisers and police to work with us to send out the message that these substances may not be safe and could contain illegal drugs."
Drugs such as naphyrone, branded as NRG1 and sold as "plant food" or "bath salt", are growing in popularity but could contain one or more illegal drugs, the Home Office said.
In the letter, Mr Brokenshire asked organisers to review the measures they had in place to prevent drugs being sold and ensure the safety of the public.
Mephedrone has been banned after worries over its link to deaths
His advice has been welcomed by Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic, which stages the Latitude, Big Chill and Reading and Leeds Festivals.
He said: "I can confirm that we do not allow legal high traders to trade at any Festival Republic festival and fully support the minister's view."
In the ongoing battle against ever-emerging new drugs, Mr Brokenshire confirmed the Government was seeking to change drug laws allowing substances to be temporarily banned while scientific tests were carried out.
The decision comes after mephedrone - a synthetic stimulant - was permanently banned following the deaths of two teenagers, only for later toxicology tests to find no trace of the substance in their blood.
The UK has the biggest online trade in legal highs in Europe and Chinese chemical factories that supply many of the substances claim they can come up with other chemical compounds to skirt round British laws.
In a Sky investigation, Jacky Wu, director of Chinese company Chemchallenger Biotech admitted: "There are thousands of these substances. There are new ones coming out all the time."