Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the use of (a) spice, (b) mamba and (c) other illegal drugs.

We recognise how dangerous synthetic cannabinoids such as those supplied under the brand names ‘spice’ and ‘mamba’, can be and the devastating impact that they can have on communities, families and the individuals taking them. That is why we acted to control these substances as class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act and give the police the powers they need to take action, including making possession illegal and delivering longer sentences for dealers.

More widely, the 2017 Drug Strategy builds on the approach set out in 2010, recognising that while progress has been made, we need to go fur-ther to respond to the evolving threats and challenges that continue to emerge from drug misuse.

We are taking firm action to prevent the harms caused by drugs. Our Drug Strategy sets out a balanced approach which brings together police, health, community and global partners to tackle the illicit drug trade, protect the most vulnerable and help those with a drug dependency to recover and turn their lives around.