New Funding To Help Tackle "Growing Problem" Of Legal Highs
An East Yorkshire charity - which educates youngsters about the dangers of legal highs - is warning of the "growing problem" in our region.
New funding has been allocated to help tackle what is being described as the "growing problem" of legal highs in East Yorkshire.
The charity R.E.A.L run a programme educating young people about the dangers of new unregulated drugs (NUD).
They have now been given extra funding from The High Sheriffs' and Humberside Police Tribune Trust to help extend the scheme.
It's as the number of deaths linked to such drugs has increased by 80% in the last year. It's also predicted that by 2016 deaths from NUD could overtake those linked to heroin.
Mike told Viking FM:
"We first saw the onset of legal highs round about 2008 and it has grown to almost epidemic proportions now. We have heard instances where they are being sold from fish and chip shops, newsagents and outside schools. Basically you can get them anywhere you like and the rising the number of outlets that these substances are available from tells you the scale of the problem.
"Basically what you've got is online chemists creating new chemical compounds and releasing these on a daily basis. The rate of production is more than one new substance per week being created and we can't tell from one week to the next what is in a particular batch.
"The effects of these drugs are far more dangerous than a lot of the illegal substances that we already know of that are out there. We're seeing the fall out from this, we are seeing an increase in crime, suicides linked to legal highs, growing dependency and A & E departments are saying that they're seeing increasing presentations week on week.
"I've seen children as young as 15 and 16 that are hooked on these substances and with every venue that we go into we are getting anywhere between 50 and 100 young people telling us they either know of someone who has used a legal high, perhaps know where to get hold of them or have experiences themselves.
"The issue and problem of legal highs are stacking up and I think we are only just seeing the tip of the iceburg. It's the perceived legality of NUD that is the big draw for young people. Young people think they should be okay to try them because they are legal substances and therefore should be safe and these are some of the misconceptions that we are trying to eradicate."
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