Doncaster man welcomes ban on legal highs that led to 2 heart attacks
A Doncaster man who had two heart attacks after taking legal highs is welcoming a new law banning them whcih takes effect today
A Doncaster man who had two heart attacks after taking a legal high is welcoming a new law banning them.
Tom was left with long-term side effects after he took the legal high spice - and still suffers up to 100 headaches every day.
Anyone caught producing or selling the drugs could face up to 7 years in prison from today, due to a new law coming into effect.
Tom told us what happened when he took the drug:
"My heart was racing at up to 163 beats per minute - I had panic attacks and palpitations and I was just sat doing nothing apart from smoking spice and next thing I knew I was in hospital. I just remember being very very scared and wishing it would all go away."
"I actually came out of my body and looked at myself and thought 'oh, you've done it now mate'. I was just looking at myself on the bathroom floor and thought 'you really need to sort this out – enough is enough'. I still suffer from big headaches now - I usually get from 20 to over 100 every day."
Tom's hoping the new law will mean fewer people will suffer like he did.
He thinks legal highs are extremely dangerous:
"In my opinion, it's class A - it's up there with heroin and cocaine. It's made for profit - that's all it is. There's no enjoyment in it. You think you might be having a good time with your mates and all that but 18 months down the line when you're still sat there cowering on the settee having palpitations and panic attacks, it's not worth it all."
"My family got an education by watching somebody they love absolutely suffer and get destroyed. Don't be the example for your family, it's as simple as that. You're like a pebble in a pond - and the ripples go out across the pond. Those are the people you're affecting and you can't see it."
But there has been opposition to the new law - with some saying it's infringing civil liberties.
Joe the manager of Smokey Sam's Headshop in Sheffield - where they used to sell legal highs.
He says they're having to stop selling certain products now the law's come in, including laughing gas - something he thinks isn't right:
"Banning things like nitrous oxide and kratom is taking it too far. These are, in my opinion, very harmless things and people should be given the responsibility and the choice of whether they want to do them - not just because it's illegal."
"The government have written the law in such a blanket way to give themselves such complete power, even though it is quite unenforcable. They are overstepping, I think, what they really wanted to stop but they've given themselves that safety net just in case."
Joe doubts the law will be very effective - he told us there will still be legal highs out there:
"Of course they're still going to be knocking around and the problem with these kind of laws and the war on drugs in general is these sorts of things are pushed to the fringes and underground and that's where real danger lies in my opinion."
"They do still exist - people have either stockpiled them or they're still going to be able to get hold of them by illicit means. We get people calling up a lot so it's obvious there's still a huge demand."