Are nootropics illegal in the UK from April 2016?
<p>According to new <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/psychoactive-substances-bill-2015" rel="nofollow">Psychoactive Substances Act 2016</a>, the UK's government announced that new legalisation bans all substances deemed as “psychoactive” drugs excluding controlled drugs such as caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, etc.</p>

<p>According to <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/2/section/2/enacted" rel="nofollow">definition</a> of psychoactive substance, this is any substance which can produce a psychoactive effect in a person who consumes it.</p>

<p>Some shops already withdrawing supplies of nootropics from sale.</p>

<p>Does it means after the Act comes into force, then <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic" rel="nofollow">nootropics</a> (smart drugs or cognitive enhancers) become illegal in the UK? For example <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racetam" rel="nofollow">racetams</a> such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aniracetam" rel="nofollow">Aniracetam</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxiracetam" rel="nofollow">Oxiracetam</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noopept" rel="nofollow">Noopept</a>, etc., since they're psychostimulants?</p>

<p>It is, technically speaking, illegal to produce, supply, offer to supply, possess with intent to supply, possess on custodial premises, import or export psychoactive substances.</p>

<p>There is nothing said on possession for personal usage or usage itself.</p>

<p>"For the purposes of this Act a substance produces a psychoactive effect in a person if, by stimulating or depressing the person’s central nervous system, it affects the person’s mental functioning or emotional state; and references to a substance’s psychoactive effects are to be read accordingly," so I guess nootropics fall under this definition.</p>

<p>In practice, however, this law is very bad legislation (technically bans many normal unharmful, or even beneficial, substances), and it gives quite some space for the enforcement discretion, and I am not aware ho it is enforced in practice.</p>

united-kingdom bills