BARRETT CALLS FOR ''HEADSHOP'' REGULATION
Issued : Monday 15 February, 2010
Areas : head shop castlebar
Labour Councillor Harry Barrett has said that there is an urgent need for a framework to be put in place to regulate the operation of headshops. These shops have sprung up around the country and they are peddling substances that are untested and potentially very dangerous. As a result, parents are becoming extremely worried that the health and welfare of their children is being put at risk.
Few if any of the products sold in these shops, include a comprehensive list of ingredients on their packaging and many of them are sold with misleading branding and labelling. In addition, generally speaking, these shops do not take out product liability insurance, so if a problem does arise, the scope for a customer pursuing the matter is extremely limited.
Just last week, we saw media reports where in December alone six young people were admitted to Cork University Hospital suffering the ill-effects of these ‘herbal highs’. The government must address these concerns as a matter of extreme urgency. Health Minister Mary Harney and Justice Minister Dermot Ahern must sit down without delay, and outline just how they propose to tackle this issue.
ENDS.
Contact CLLR. HARRY BARRETT 087 9713268
Cllr 
