Legal high epidemic in Newcastle
Ambulances are attending 10 incidents every day as a result of ‘legal highs’.
The North East Ambulance Service has been to 163 life threatening calls to since January 1st.
Symptoms include seizures, unconsciousness, vomiting, heart palpitations, aggression and foaming at the mouth.
The majority of calls were for young people in Newcastle’s West End.
A pregnant 28 year old from the area admitted she takes them. She said:
“It’s made me ill, spewing up blood… in bed for hours, couldn’t move, could eat, couldn’t go to the toilet or nothing.”
“I’ve stopped it before and started again, that’s because my boyfriend’s gone into prison. I’m pregnant as well, I’m going through a lot of stuff at the minute, got blood clots as well.”
Northumbria Police have just shut down Best One, a shop in Beaconsfield Street in Newcastle, for selling legal highs.
Last week, a Magistrates court ordered the shop to close and cease from trading for the maximum period of three months.
Inspector Barrie Joisce said:
“They reported males congregating outside, intimidating residents, asking for money to buy legal highs, smoking substances in the rear lane, noise and individuals collapsed within the vicinity of the shop as a result of legal high consumption.”
“A total ban would be one solution, but it’s not the only solution. It should be made clear that these substances are not designed for human consumption and anyone who decides to take such substances are putting their lives at risk.”
“We had residents reporting not wanting to go out at night time, fear of going into communal areas… That’s something we cannot accept. Nobody should be made to feel unsafe in their own community as a result of such substances.”
To find out more about legal highs, visit the <a class="article-body-link" href="http://track.vuelio.uk.com/z.z?l=aHR0cDovL3d3dy50YWxrdG9mcmFuay5jb20vbGF0ZXN0&r=5794529054&d=1497857&p=1&t=h&h=2d48d45ecd57ce88432443a97557e659 "External website"">FRANK website or http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/drugs/Pages/legalhighs.aspx. Or www.hiwecanhelp.com
The government announced new legislation in May 2015 that will ban the new generation of psychoactive drugs. (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/psychoactive-substances-bill-2015 )