Legal Highs. What you need to know...
Here's what you need to know about the substances that are still legally available on the streets of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Northsound News has spent the last 12 months investigating the growing problem of Legal Highs in the North-east. Here's what you need to know about the substances that are still legally available on the streets of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
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 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.
What are the 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.
Get Help.
Aberdeen charity Drugs Action provide support through their Helpline on 01224 594700 or you can drop-in to their office at 7 Hadden Street, Aberdeen. They are open 7 days a week. Opening hours can be found here.
For help in Aberdeenshire Turning Point Scotland's Northern Horizons can be reached on 01779 470490.
The NHS national helpline is available on 0800 77 66 00, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.