Legal Highs - What You Should Know

The are becoming a growing issue in and around Aberdeen, so we've put together a guide on what you need to know to stay safe.

What are they?

These drugs are usually stimulants and/or hallucinogens; they can come in powder, capsule and smokeable form. There is also an increasing variety of “synthetic cannabinoids”. There is not much known about them, especially in relation to their short and long-term effects on humans.

New psychoactive substances (NPS) mimic the effects of illegal substances such as cocaine, valium and cannabis. The effects are based on the type of substance taken; for example, a stimulant NPS you will produce similar effects to an illegal stimulant such as speed.

Very little knowledge exists with regard to new psychoactive substances. Many of these drugs are unknown quantities.

Effects

The effects depend on how much is consumed. Individual factors such as body weight, gender, the strength of the drug, mood, physical and mental health, how you take it, where you take it and whether or not it is mixed with other drugs including alcohol also have an impact.

Problems reported in this area have ranged from mild to severe, with users experiencing confusion, disorientation, blurred vision, uncontrollable shaking, increased risk of fits, and even loss of consciousness in some cases.

These can be some of the effects:

• Heart and circulatory problems

Common experiences are an increased or erratic heartbeat. This has led to hospitalization, cardiac monitoring and medication for some people. Other symptoms can include tingling, numbness and a bluish discolouration of the hands and legs.

Stimulant use, by its very nature, makes the heart work harder, and can increase the risk of experiencing a heart attack by up 22%.

• Nose bleeds

Whilst stimulant drugs may be used in a variety of ways, most are snorted. This can lead to damage of the lining of the nose, pain, and nose bleeds. In some cases there can be permanent damage to the nasal septum.

• Mental health problems

These symptoms have also been quite variable, ranging from mild degrees of agitation and paranoia, sometimes followed by depression and anxiety when the drug starts to wear off. However, sometimes these symptoms will increase in severity and can develop into a full-blown drug-induced psychosis.

Stimulant-induced psychosis can require admission to a psychiatric ward and can lead to a lengthy period of inpatient treatment for some. There have been reports of people experiencing persistent difficulties with mood and anxiety several weeks or months after they stopped using these drugs.

The Law

Since 2009, several substances which could be described as new psychoactive substances have since been re-classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

In 2012, the UK Government introduced new legislation allowing the Home Secretary to invoke a “temporary class drugs order”. This enables the Government to place substances within this special category under temporary control.

But now, Ministers are to publish draft laws they say are a "landmark" in prohibiting the substances' production, distribution, sale and supply.

They want to introduce a "blanket ban" on all legal highs, which would carry prison sentences of up to seven years.

If you need help...

DA Aberdeen are a drugs support service that work throughout the city and shire, 7 days a week, to help anyone who needs help with any type of drug problem.

You can phone their helpline on 01224 594700, or you can go to their drop in services, which run from 2pm to 5pm everyday.