A leading Tayside campaigner against legal highs has called on the authorities to spend time on perfecting new legislation to outlaw the sale of the substances.
The UK Government had planned to introduce new laws by Wednesday but the move has now been delayed following claims the definition of a “psychoactive substance” is not enforceable by the police.
Home Office minister Karen Bradley MP insists the delay is so that the Government can “enable smooth implementation of the legislation”.
Tayside legal highs campaigner Rev Martin Fair said he preferred the legislation be delayed if it meant it was more watertight.
He said: “I think it has taken long enough to bring in, that any further short space of time is neither here nor there in the quest to get legislation that is as watertight as possible.
“We’d rather they did a proper job than produce something half-baked.”
Asked if he had any concerns the legislation wouldn’t go through at all, Mr Fair, who helps run the Havilah drug addiction centre in Arbroath, said: “I think we just have to rely on them to do it.
“At the end of the day it’s about reducing the harm in the community.
“I think having the shops shut down has made a real difference as the impact of legal highs is somewhat less of an issue at the moment.”
Ireland introduced its own legislation in 2010, but there have been few prosecutions so far due to difficulties in proving a substance to be psychoactive.
The UK Government is still confident its plans will “put an end” to those causing misery by selling the substances.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “The landmark Psychoactive Substances Act will fundamentally change the way we tackle these drugs and put an end to unscrupulous suppliers profiting from their trade.
“Our message is clear offenders will face up to seven years in prison,” she said.