The Slovak Health Ministry will submit for interdepartmental review an amendment to legislation governing narcotics and psychotropic substances that are currently being sold as souvenirs in so-called crazy shops, Health Minister Ivan Uhliarik (Christian Democratic Movement (KDH)) told the TASR newswire on Tuesday, February 1.
“We’ll be adding new substances to the law on an ongoing basis,” the minister said. The head of the ministry’s section for pharmacy and medicines policy, Michaela Gajdošová, added that the ministry will add new substances under the law every time such a need arises. The move is set to be backed by the main opposition party, Smer.
“The problem is that ‘crazy shops’ are selling the substances neither as food, nor nutritional supplements, but as gifts,” said MP and former health minister Richard Raši (Smer), who stated that simply adding the substances to the forbidden list isn’t enough. The issue gained prominence after it was revealed that so-called crazy shops across Slovakia are selling items such as tablets, chewing gum and cigarettes that contain substances such as synthetic cannabinoids and mephedrone.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
