The Europe Against Drugs network (Eurad) has called on the Government to introduce a new law which would make it an offence to incite someone to take drugs.
Gráinne Kenny, president of Eurad, said much progress had been made in making large drug seizures but the problem would never be tackled unless the Government focused on the source of drugs for young and first time users.
She said the introduction of such a law would clamp down on some of the dubious products being sold in alternative lifestyle shops, sometimes known as head shops.
They sold magic mushrooms before Minister for Health Mary Harney introduced a ban on magic mushrooms containing psilocybin last year.
Ms Kenny said teenagers were buying these products unknown to their parents and they believed they were safe because they were for sale in shops.
Darcy Petticrew, owner of Himalayan Crafts Wholesale in Co Meath, said he did not sell "legal highs" such as red devils but he did sell natural products such as amanita, another form of mushroom.
He said this product was "100 per cent safe", if consumed in a sensible manner, just as alcohol was safe if consumed sensibly.
He rejected Ms Kenny's call for a new offence of incitement to use drugs and said prohibition never worked.
