Campaigners have welcomed a blanket ban on a new generation of so-called legal highs.
The Queen’s Speech outlined measures to prohibit and disrupt the production, distribution, sale and supply of new psychoactive substances (NPSs).
The plans will give authorities greater powers to stop newly created “legal highs” spreading on the streets as well as tackling so-called “head shops” which sell the substances.
New legislation will make it an offence to produce, supply, import or export psychoactive substances with a maximum sentence of seven years.
In Angus, where there has been a high-profile grassroots effort to stamp out legal highs, the news has been well received.
Arbroath minister the Rev Martin Fair, who has been one of the leaders of the Arbroath Against Legal Highs group, said: “I’m pleased with both the tenor and the detail of what is being proposed.
“The punishments for those concerned with supply and production reflect the seriousness of the problem.
“Hopefully those who will draft this legislation will be able to do so in a way which makes it as difficult as possible to get round until now those who profit from the NPS trade have managed to keep ahead of the game.”
There was also a positive reaction in Perth, where city centre councillor Peter Barrett has campaigned against the substances.
He said: “The day we remove the scourge of new synthetic drugs from our high streets can’t come soon enough.
“In the meantime we need to do everything we can in our power to disrupt this odious trade and bring an end to the harm that NPSs causes.
“These are not non-addictive substances or safe versions of illegal substances, these drugs cause mental and behavioural disorders including delusions and hallucinations, bizarre and aggressive behaviour.”