Head shop products not for consumption but delivered at 4am

RESIDENTS IN North Dublin have received hand-delivered flyers in their letter boxes advertising “home delivery services” for head shop products.

According to the flyer, deliveries can be made between Thursday and Sunday from 7pm to 4am, for a charge of €10.00.

The advertisement contains a “menu” which offers a range of products under three categories – “roll-ons”, “main course”, and “novelty bath salts”.

Among the substances on sale are exotic incense blend roll-ons, such as Smoke Original and Spice Gold Spirit, ranging in price from €25 to €35, “plant feed” such as Super E, E-Bomb and Loved-Up, priced at €15.00, and novelty bath salts including Blow, White Gold and Snow Storm, which cost €30 to €40 per gramme. All products are marked with the words: “Not for human consumption.”

The flyer does not identify the business owner, but includes a contact mobile telephone number. When in contact, The Irish Timeswas told by the home delivery provider that the service is connected to a head shop in Balbriggan.

Yesterday, a shop attendant at Balbriggan’s only head shop, “Rasta Power”, who declined to give his name, said the shop had “no connection” to the delivery service, and did not offer a home delivery service. “Rasta Power” was at the centre of controversy in late 2008 when it was forced to close after a powerful local campaign organised by Balbriggan Town Council, Balbriggan Aware Drugs group (BAD) and Balbriggan Chamber of Commerce.

The shop, originally on Drogheda Street, reopened shortly afterwards at a new premises on Railway Street.

Fine Gael TD for North Dublin, James Reilly, said the issue of head shops and the home delivery service being run in the area was raised at a local branch meeting of Fine Gael in Balbriggan on Tuesday evening, and was a major source of concern for constituents.

“Advertising such as this is scurrilous abuse of a loophole in the law, and is an attempt to ensnare our children into drug abuse. Promoting the idea that one needs a mind-altering substance is disgraceful.” He said substances available in head shops are not sanctioned by the medicines board or the food safety authority. “All head shops should have a licence and have to pay a licence fee of €100,000 to operate,” he added.