The European Commission is to ban seven new psychoactive drugs, a local media reported.
According to a statement, four of the substances belonged to the category of synthetic cannabinoids, which mimic the effect of cannabis but are much more toxic, and are known and sold as “spice,” “herbal incense” and “legal weed.”
The other three substances are “synthetic opioids closely related to fentanyl,” a painkiller several times more powerful than morphine and associated with the death of the musician Prince in 2016.
The commissioner for home affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos, said new psychoactive substances pose an increasingly serious threat to public health.
“We need to ensure not only that these new drugs cannot be bought, but also that they don’t appear on the market in the first place,’’ Avramopoulos said.
The ban will be discussed with EU member states which in consultation with the parliament need to decide whether to adopt the measures
