Dangerous, illegal drugs sold over the counter as 'legal highs'

A dangerous drug is being sold across the counter as a herbal air freshener.

Users have told ACA the so-called “herbal incense” is actually synthetic cannabis.

Commander of the NSW Drug Squad Tony Cooke said there is no such thing as a “legal high”.

“They are crafty words contrived by those wanting to sell, what are effectively illegal drugs, to you to get around legislation,” he said.

A man, who wished to be known only as John, said he believed “herbal incense” he recently bought and smoked was actually synthetic cannabis.

“It tastes the same, looks the same, yeah it’s a synthetic drug. They’ve just changed the name… they’re selling the same product though,” he said.

John contacted ACA because he wants the product removed from the store.

“(Synthetic cannabis) has pretty much destroyed my life. It’s put me in and out of jail probably the last seven to eight years. It’s taken away my relationships, my family, it’s taken away everything”.

Paul Dillon from the National Drug and Alcohol Research centre said people should never smoke herbal incense, with the risks including stroke and heart attack.

“Just because you can purchase it and you believe it’s legally available does not mean it’s safe,” he said.

“This is not about someone using a drug over and over again and experiencing great harm, sometimes it’s one time only”.