The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform launches the Report of its Inquiry into New Psychoactive Substances ('legal highs') on the 14th January 2013. The Inquiry began in 2011 and was initiated in response to the rapid development of new and unknown psychoactive substances and to examine whether alternative forms of regulation could prove more effective in minimising the potential harms of such substances than the current system of drug control. The Group has received evidence from the Chairman of the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs, Association of Chief Police Officers, the Home Office, The Trading Standards Institute, the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs – in all, 31 government departments, organisations and experts. It has also examined in detail initiatives from abroad which seek to regulate new substances particular the system of regulation for 'low risk' substances being planned in New Zealand.

The Report recommends that there is a system of regulated supply of those new drugs which are the least harmful and further recomments the decriminalising the possession and use of all drugs. The report concludes that a review of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is now necessary.

The Report also recommends that politics be taken out of decisions on the classification of drugs, as it has been with respect to the setting of interest rates by the Monetary Policy Committee, and in determining which pharmaceutical drugs may be provided through the NHS. All these issues involve scientific judgements and are too sensitive for politicians to handle directly.