IT IS depressingly unsurprising that two Oxfordshire teenagers have required medical treatment after taking the legal drug mephedrone since the deaths of two lads in Scunthorpe.

The deaths and subsequent pronouncements from the Government about banning the drug was unfortunately always going to see a rush to try it. It is a sad reflection on the absolute stupidity of many people.

It is marketed as plant food, and side effects can include nose bleeds, joint pains, paranoia, heart palpitations, insomnia and memory problems, while there is still not enough known about its reactions to alcohol or other drugs.

That reaction is believed to have been behind the collapse of a 17-year-old girl in Witney, while last Friday a contaminated batch may have affected a 19-year-old in Wantage.

Yes, the drug is currently legal, but why would anyone take the risks unless they were especially foolhardy?

Crossing a busy road is legal, but if someone gets run down you don’t expect to see a queue of teenagers on the pavement trying their luck.

The Government is right to act, but more work is needed so teenagers can be warned fully about the risks.