In the face of mounting concern over the sale of illicit drugs on the Internet, Amazon has halted the sale of two deadly but legal substances.

After the Daily Mail brought to light the sale of various "legal highs" on Amazon.co.uk through the subsidiary company John Strong Supplies, both salvia and amyl nitrate were removed from the website over the weekend.

Salvia is an inhalable herb famous for its hallucinogenic properties, which some health professionals say are more potent than those of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Amyl nitrate, or "poppers," is a medication used for the pain associated with angina attacks.

Pressure to stop sale of the harmful mind altering substances was led by Angelus Foundation organizer Maryon Stewart who knows all too well about the dangers of drug use after her daughter Hester died from inhaling the drug gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL).

Stewart told the Daily Mail that Amazon's decision was "a great victory" for her foundation and the publication.

"These are dangerous chemicals which are potentially lethal and can cause life-long harm to health. This is a lesson to other retailers that we really need to be vigilant about what is being sold," she added.

"People need to understand these are dangerous chemicals which are potentially lethal and can cause life-long harm to health."

According to data produced by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report: Use of Specific Hallucinogens 2006, 750,000 people from age 12 and up reported using salvia in the previous year and 1.8 million said they used it at least once in their lifetime.

Although several states have enacted laws to control the sale of similar illicit substances, salvia is currently not a drug regulated by the Controlled Substances Act.