The damage caused by head shop drugs is likely to get worse as a “second wave” looks set to hit the country, an emergency consultant has warned.

Operators of head shops “can duck but they can’t hide”, Minister for Community Affairs Pat Carey has said.

‘Legal or illegal highs can cause serious health problems - they’re anything but safe’

The HSE is to launch a major public awareness campaign on drugs later today.

The HSE is set to launch its national drugs awareness campaign “Legal or illegal highs - they’re anything but safe” tomorrow. The campaign aims to create awareness of the dangers and risks to physical and mental health posed by both legal and illegal highs available in Ireland.

Robust, innovative and urgent legislation to ban the sale of psychoactive substances will also restrict a move by head shops to sell their products online, Minster for Justice Dermot Ahern has told the Dáil.

The Government’s ban last month on psychoactive substances in head shops has seen 60pc of the stores closing, with only 44 still operating.

Wexford Fianna Fáil T.D. John Browne has described the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Bill as “far-reaching legislation” that will protect young people from dangerous head-shop products.

The Government’s crackdown on headshops is to include a provision to allow bail be refused to suspects.

Britain may follow the Irish example in introducing ‘catch-all’ legislation to tackle the growth of head shops.