Designer drug reform comes into force in Poland

The amendment, voted in by Polish lawmakers in July, puts the sale of designer drugs on a par with drug dealing, Rzeczpospolita reported.

Under the new regulations, the possession of significant amounts of designer drugs carries a sentence of up to three years in prison, while selling the substances carries a maximum prison sentence of 12 years.

Anyone caught with synthetic drugs would face a three-year jail term. The case may be dropped, however, if the amount of drugs for personal use is insignificant.

The new law obliges hospitals to report cases of synthetic drug use to the State Sanitary Inspectorate (PIS).

The issue of designer drugs made the headlines in Poland in June when around a dozen people aged 14 to 30 from the north-western town of Trzebiatów were taken to hospitals after they showed symptoms of ingesting psychoactive susbtances. Some of them were in serious condition.

(aba/vb)

Source: Rzeczpospolita