A LEGAL high which has in the past resulted in a number of people being admitted to Swindon’s Great Western Hospital suffering from acute vomiting has been banned by the Government.

Methiopropamine, also known as MPA, became a popular legal high. Its effects are compared to drugs such as caffeine or Ritalin but combined with certain other drugs it can be fatal.

Today a new Temporary Class Drug Order comes into effect. It means anyone caught making or supplying the substance could face 14 years in jail.

The order will be in place for a year while experts decide whether to include the substance in the new Psychoactive Substances Bill.

MPA has been implicated in the tragic deaths of 22 people across the country between 2012 and 2015.

Mike Penning, the Minister for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice And Victims, said: “The Government has acted to protect the public from this dangerous substance and this order will ensure dealers are punished for seeking to profit from it.

“We have been working closely with the ACMD to ensure we tackle these dangerous substances, and have already banned more than 500 new drugs, including the one controlled under this temporary order.

“The message is clear: These substances have a devastating impact on communities and our landmark Psychoactive Substances Bill will give law enforcement agencies and local authorities the power to effectively tackle dealers.”