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A NEW legal high blamed for at least one death is on sale openly in sweet shops.

A Record reporter bought the substance, known as Burst, in a newsagent’s. But experts say it is being peddled in shops across central Scotland – with terrifying results.

Burst, which is colourfully packaged and labelled as “bath salts”, is injected by heroin addicts. They say it is “like heroin and ecstasy combined”.

But drug advice agencies warn it will corrode veins if injected.

A 36-year-old drug user from Musselburgh in East Lothian is understood to have died as a result of injecting.

Another man is in hospital awaiting leg amputation and other users have been admitted for hospital treatment.

A police source said it was also worrying that non-regular drug users were abusing Burst and similar substances.

He said: “People think it’s just like taking party drugs and don’t realise the danger they are putting themselves in.

“The fact they can buy them just as easily as a newspaper with no repercussions legally makes them think they’re safe. It’s a ticking time bomb.”

The Record bought a £10 half-gram of Burst, marked “not fit for human consumption” as a tactic to avoid the law, from a shop in Fisherow, Musselburgh.

The shop would not comment when approached yesterday.

But the police source said: “This shop and at least three others in Musselburgh are openly selling ‘bath salts’. We’ve explained the dangers and asked them to stop selling them but we can’t do anything more.”

An angry mum from Tranent said the drug was an epidemic and her daughter had ended up in hospital as a result of it.

She said: “We know of a woman who has blood clots all over her body and a man is waiting to have his leg amputated. My daughter says everyone is using them as they are cheaper than class A drugs and much more readily available.”

Edinburgh drug advice service My Crew said they were still learning about Burst.

A spokesman said: “Burst usually comes as a white powder and is snorted or in some cases injected. User reports suggest there is a strong craving to redose. This substance can be corrosive and we have had reports of users whose

intravenous use has led to abscesses and blown veins.”

Arbroath councillor David Fairweather, who campaigns against legal highs, said: ”I’m aghast that irresponsible shop owners are selling these items.

“The right legislation needs to be brought in to close these shops down now.”

The substance sold to our reporter was labelled as research chemical ethylphenidate.

Ethylphenidate is very similar to Ritalin, the psychostimulant used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

But because there is no regulation of legal highs, they could contain any chemicals.