By C1 Staff
UNITED KINGDOM — Prison officials are keeping a close eye on drugs coming into prisons these days, afraid that what is considered a “legal” high could lead to the death of a corrections officer.
“I would estimate that between 30 and 40 percent of the drug seizures in prisons are the many varieties of legal highs,” said POA Official Glyn Travis, according to The Mirror.
“Some have the same effect as class A drugs like cocaine.”
Legal highs include things like synthetic cannabis, also known as spice, and BOM, which causes hallucinogenic trips like LSD.
Inmates arrange drops using smuggled mobile phones.
A search this month at Norfolk’s Wayland prison unearthed a stash of spice along with mobile phones and steroids. And in June a search at Guys Marsh Prison turned up 11 bags of spice and some mobile phones.
The boom in synthetic opiates is becoming an even greater menace than illegal hard drugs, according to Home Minister Norman Baker.
UK prisons have a zero tolerance approach to illicit drugs, and are currently introducing “new powers” that will enable them to test prisoners for non-controlled drugs, such as spice.