UK: Police Plan Clamp Down On Shops Accused Of Glamorising

[Puffin13]

UK: Police Plan Clamp Down On Shops Accused Of Glamorising Drug Use

The businesses, known as "head shops", operate entirely within the law but the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) is devising new rules on how police and local councils can work together to combat "community concerns" about the stores.

The guidelines are expected to see police and trading standards officers demanding changes to the way stores operate, and could even lead to the authorities demanding that items are taken off display.

Head shops, which first surfaced in the 1960s, offer a range of products linked with illegal drug-taking such as hookahs, "bongs" or water pipes, scales for weighing drugs and machines to grind substances such as herbal cannabis.

Many also offer "legal alternatives" to cannabis, as well as T-shirts and other products bearing images of cannabis leaves or marijuana cigarettes and which depict drug use in a positive light.

Tim Hollis, Acpo drugs spokesman and chief constable of Humberside, said: "There are concerns that head shops make drugs seem legal. It is not illegal for these shops to exist and there are things local authorities and the police can do.

"It is not as simple as making them illegal, but we will be producing good practice guidelines to give ideas on how to solve the problems, because the shops are causing concern for communities."

An Acpo spokeswoman declined to give any further details of how the guidelines will operate, or what powers officers propose to use against businesses whose activities are not breaking the law.

Neighbourhood police teams are expected to play a key role in the new project, working with council departments and other agencies to decide which shops to target.

The National Policing Improvement Agency has set up a team which is developing the new document.

A spokesman for the agency said: "The NPIA is working on guidance for Acpo which is due to be released to forces around March of this year."

Source

[sh@dy]

the UK seems to be going crazy, whats happening over there, can you tell me?

[Twichaldinho]

the UK seems to be going crazy, whats happening over there, can you tell me?

Your not far from the truth sh@dy, its All that twat Gordon Browns Fault I feel, ever since he decided to IGNORE the advice of his OWN Drug Advisory Council with regards to Re-Classification to class B, its all gone mad!!

Fuck the Fat bastard I say, Ignorant tit!

[doobydave]

Thats great.

Maybe if they get enough products removed then the head shops will have to close. Say goodbye to the income tax made from these capitalistic businesses and its good news for the black market, as people will be able to afford more drugs and/or buy their souvenirs from their dealers.

Yay.

[Twitch]

Seems like they're going backwards.

[corpse]

and people constantly question why so many brits love amsterdam...
i am embarrassed for being british when i travel but hopefully things like this give will foreigners an idea of why we're stereotypically messy/noisy/annoying when we go on holiday, its because its too easy to have a nice time in other parts of europe. its hard coming back home to be honest. england is disgusting, and our reptuation is probably worse.
Our government has never understood any other culture but ours, and i cant even figure out what it consists of apart from smug, ignorant bastards

[sh@dy]

and people constantly question why so many brits love amsterdam...
i am embarrassed for being british when i travel but hopefully things like this give will foreigners an idea of why we're stereotypically messy/noisy/annoying when we go on holiday, its because its too easy to have a nice time in other parts of europe. its hard coming back home to be honest. england is disgusting, and our reptuation is probably worse.
Our government has never understood any other culture but ours, and i cant even figure out what it consists of apart from smug, ignorant bastards

i think you could say the same about the US/germany/france......

[SoulRider]

and people constantly question why so many brits love amsterdam...
i am embarrassed for being british when i travel but hopefully things like this give will foreigners an idea of why we're stereotypically messy/noisy/annoying when we go on holiday, its because its too easy to have a nice time in other parts of europe. its hard coming back home to be honest. england is disgusting, and our reptuation is probably worse.
Our government has never understood any other culture but ours, and i cant even figure out what it consists of apart from smug, ignorant bastards

A brit who hates the state of their country almost as much as me

We have an Island mentality, we have a 'better than anyone look at our history and empire' way of thinking that makes us look down on other countries, but the truth of the matter is people are living a false ideal. Our 'Newspapers' print full colour front page articles without a shred of truth in them, and because people read it in the 'paper' (even when you try and explain the the sun is NOT a newspaper) it has to be true. Like the Daily Expresses front page story a while back showing photo's of the Afghanistan population trampling Marijuana leaves to make HEROIN. I kid you not. No-one seemed to notice that these people should be feared more than any in the world, for they are the greatest alchemists to ever have lived.

We have no civil liberties anymore. George Orwell wrote 1984, and it has turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy that England will become that Orwellian nightmare. We are already the most monitored nation on earth, even more than the Chinese!!

If you are thinking of moving to England, either don't, or if you are determined to go, fancy a swap so I can get out?

[Sir Niall of Essex-sire]

and people constantly question why so many brits love amsterdam...
i am embarrassed for being british when i travel but hopefully things like this give will foreigners an idea of why we're stereotypically messy/noisy/annoying when we go on holiday, its because its too easy to have a nice time in other parts of europe. its hard coming back home to be honest. england is disgusting, and our reptuation is probably worse.
Our government has never understood any other culture but ours, and i cant even figure out what it consists of apart from smug, ignorant bastards

A brit who hates the state of their country almost as much as me

We have an Island mentality, we have a 'better than anyone look at our history and empire' way of thinking that makes us look down on other countries, but the truth of the matter is people are living a false ideal. Our 'Newspapers' print full colour front page articles without a shred of truth in them, and because people read it in the 'paper' (even when you try and explain the the sun is NOT a newspaper) it has to be true. Like the Daily Expresses front page story a while back showing photo's of the Afghanistan population trampling Marijuana leaves to make HEROIN. I kid you not. No-one seemed to notice that these people should be feared more than any in the world, for they are the greatest alchemists to ever have lived.

We have no civil liberties anymore. George Orwell wrote 1984, and it has turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy that England will become that Orwellian nightmare. We are already the most monitored nation on earth, even more than the Chinese!!

If you are thinking of moving to England, either don't, or if you are determined to go, fancy a swap so I can get out?

England is a beuatiful country, im extremely proud to be english. But as mentioned the state of England is going down hill, but i dont think you can measure a country soley on its drug laws. As SR says we are heavily monitered which causes me to worry as well, it seems like civil liberties are being chipped away gradually and no-one notices.

I dont think we look down on other cultures, in fact i would say the multi-culturlism of England would suggest otherwise as we have intergrated many other cultures, whereas if it was a mainstream belief that our culture was greater than others would we of allowed this to happen? Surely we would of marginiziled their cultures in faveour of our ' superiour ' one. I think England is quite a progressive country, exculding the highly confusing turn around on drug laws. But the turn around must be put in context, a new PM comes in, he wants to prove he is strong willed and capable of controlling a country. The best and easiest way to do this is to come down hard on social problems. Couldnt use crime for this as Labour have tried lowering criome for a while with limited success, so drug use is the easier way to prove that he can control and lead a country. It will seem to the middle class un-educated on the real nature of cannabis that he is taking care of the youth and removing a deadly substance from the streets. Increasing his support.

This turn around will not be forever, theres too many people against it. Also is it not a good thing as those who are sympathetic to cannabis use will make their voice heard. It could be a moblization point for a community of smokers who have been extremely lazy in their efforts to have cannabis legalised up until this point. This is in no way pointing fingers as i am a lazy smoker who rarely attends legalisation rallys etc.

I would not say to anyone dont live in England, and while i agree with some of the points of SR, i love my country and do not see it as a CCTV controlled hell hole.

Brittish by birth, English by the grace of God.

Peace.

[SoulRider]

I agree with your points, and any views I express are my own, so don't take them as law

I used to love Britain, I used to be very proud and proclaim it to the world, but not any more. My comments about the mentality of the Country are not those of the Individual people, but the nation as a whole. Why didn't we join the Euro, or take a leading role in Europe? Because we felt we were better than them and more stable with a longer future. If that isn't arrogance then what is?

I still love the people and I still love the country in terms of the countryside, and it's diversity and multiculturalism, but I hate what the country has become and what it is becoming. that is the fault of the governments and our entire government structure. Britian will only continue to get worse, until it realises it needs to wake up and modernise, instead of being stuck in it's empirical roots. I am talking about the running of the country, not the actual land itself.

Don't believe we are heading for an Orwellian society? Don't believe we are already the most monitored country on the planet? Do some research, you'll be amazed how closely we are monitored.

[Sir Niall of Essex-sire]

I agree with your points, and any views I express are my own, so don't take them as law

I used to love Britain, I used to be very proud and proclaim it to the world, but not any more. My comments about the mentality of the Country are not those of the Individual people, but the nation as a whole. Why didn't we join the Euro, or take a leading role in Europe? Because we felt we were better than them and more stable with a longer future. If that isn't arrogance then what is?

I still love the people and I still love the country in terms of the countryside, and it's diversity and multiculturalism, but I hate what the country has become and what it is becoming. that is the fault of the governments and our entire government structure. Britian will only continue to get worse, until it realises it needs to wake up and modernise, instead of being stuck in it's empirical roots. I am talking about the running of the country, not the actual land itself.

Don't believe we are heading for an Orwellian society? Don't believe we are already the most monitored country on the planet? Do some research, you'll be amazed how closely we are monitored.

I agree with you 100% dude on how closer we are monitered, and like you already already said i also think it is cause for concern and needs to be addressed.

However i am glad we didnt join the euro or take a leading role in Europe. I think Britian should stand alone, call that arrogence i think it of it as simply being proud of the country i am from and wanting it to remain a independent country. Its not that i think we are better than the rest of Europe, far from it. Look at the social and health care offered in France and the way it takes care of its citizens, esp those ill or with young families and we coulf learn alot from them. But i think that we are allowed to make a decision to keep Britian separate because we are proud of our country and do not want it to become a state within the European Union without being called arrogent.

As far as heritige go its an issue i have a major problem with, i think we should celebrate our heritige alot more than we do. In Belfast you see murals celebrating the Irish hertige, in the rest of the Republic you see people watching Gaelic games with the knowledge that it is an important part of their heritige. We however dont even get a day off for St Georges day. Coming from a Irish family and being the first member of the family born outside of Co. Offaly ever i am well aware of the curelty of some of the English/Brittish heritige. However i was born in England and therefore i am English and proud of that and my heritige. Britian had a great history and one which i think we have a right to be proud of. I do not think that consitutes arrogence.

[SoulRider]

Don't get me wrong, Again, i am talking about the government, not the people, and that is the same for heritage.

Do you think that if England was to take a leading role in Europe it would lose its identity? That's the sort of Sun newspaper rhetoric that put people off the idea in the first place. Has The Netherlands, or any other European country lost it's identity? Have they forgotten their past? NO, Joining Europe would have no affect on this area.

Why should Britain stand alone? United we stand, divided we fall. The only constant in life is change. If Britain does not move forward and gets stuck with how it used to be, then it will dissappear into the third world. The world we live in has changed, so must britain if it does not want to die out like the other great empires of the past, Roman, Ottoman, they all rose and fell, and it will be the same with Britain. Change is inevitable. To think we will survive without changing is arrogance, it is saying we are right and wwill be here forever. It causes the end of every empire.

I agree there is not enough celebration of our cultural heritage, and I always take 23/4 off as holiday since it isn't a national one, but again, it is the government that I am slating, everything they do seems to be against the good of the people.

please don't think that Britain doesn't need to change. It does, and the only sensible move, for businesses, and that means the whole economy and your job, is to take a larger role in Europe, shaping and defining the EU helping to lead it forward.

Our government is too stupid though.

[EdinburghBoy]

I agree with the comments of most of the other Brits, this island used to be a great united kingdom but our pathetic government have turned into a bunch of "nanny state control freaks".

Oh yeah the other major problem we have is that the majority who voted in these bunch of clowns to government are kicked in the teeth at the expense of the minority who it seems have more say than anyone else.

Sorry ..... end of rant, I'd swap my lovely flat in Edinburgh with anyone in Amsterdam as I'm sick and tired of the way my country is being run!!

[crystalclear]

very wise words

[Sir Niall of Essex-sire]

Don't get me wrong, Again, i am talking about the government, not the people, and that is the same for heritage.

Do you think that if England was to take a leading role in Europe it would lose its identity? That's the sort of Sun newspaper rhetoric that put people off the idea in the first place. Has The Netherlands, or any other European country lost it's identity? Have they forgotten their past? NO, Joining Europe would have no affect on this area.

Why should Britain stand alone? United we stand, divided we fall. The only constant in life is change. If Britain does not move forward and gets stuck with how it used to be, then it will dissappear into the third world. The world we live in has changed, so must britain if it does not want to die out like the other great empires of the past, Roman, Ottoman, they all rose and fell, and it will be the same with Britain. Change is inevitable. To think we will survive without changing is arrogance, it is saying we are right and wwill be here forever. It causes the end of every empire.

I agree there is not enough celebration of our cultural heritage, and I always take 23/4 off as holiday since it isn't a national one, but again, it is the government that I am slating, everything they do seems to be against the good of the people.

please don't think that Britain doesn't need to change. It does, and the only sensible move, for businesses, and that means the whole economy and your job, is to take a larger role in Europe, shaping and defining the EU helping to lead it forward.

Our government is too stupid though.

Honsetly i think it would damage our identity, and i do belive England should stand alone. It is not a viewpoint formed by the Sun or any other newspaper, i am a tolerant liberal proud Englishmen and i do take any viewpoints presented to me in any media without first considering the issue myself. If my viewpoint seems to coinside with that of the sun, then i do not think it diminishes my viewpoint what so ever.

Britain is a divided state, i dont know how it could be argued any different. It seems only the English are forced to accept this ' Brittish-ness, ' you ask many welsh, scots or northern irish and they will tell they are not Brittish. Exculding of course the polictical and religious factors which may effect the conculsion of certain people in N. Ire. So the divided we stand united we fall argument i cant see of having much power. The welsh scots and most of the N. Irish do not like England or the Brittish goverment, and in turn alot of English do not like the other countries which border us. This dis-like is often displayed constructivly through rivaly whenever England plays any other of the Brittish countries in Rugby or football. But it can take more violent racist displays which is something i do not agree with and im happy to say in my view is decreasing. If Britian never fell because of these divisions, i do not think refusing to take a leading role in Europe would cause Britain to fall.

I also think England does change with modern devolpments, we have a huge multi-cultural society allowing are modern culture to become extremely rich and varied. Which is also embraced by the majority of the citizens. I do not think it is right to claim that england does not change or devolp because i think it is one of the most accepting and tolerant countries in existence. We do not judge on race, religion or colour. We judge our citizens on their contribution to society regardless of these factors, again this is only my view point.

As i previously mentioned i do not think that refusing to take a leading role in Europe will lead to the downfall of Britain or England as we change as much change so much as a society to accept the many cultures now thriving in England, in fact to anyone who thinks that england will eventually disappear and cease to exist. I would like to direct you to the famous war time song ' There will always be an England.'

There'll always be an England
While there's a country lane,
Wherever there's a cottage small
Beside a field of grain.
There'll always be an England
While there's a busy street,
Wherever there's a turning wheel,
A million marching feet.

Peace.