Don’t be fooled, legal highs are dangerous

Caroline Ball

OLDHAM’S police commander today issued a stark warning to thrill-seekers taking legal highs.

Caroline Ball, chief superintendent of GMP’s Tameside, Oldham and Stockport Divisions, talking exclusively to the Chronicle, said: “Just because it says legal does not mean its safe.”

She highlighted recent reports which show that since 2009, the number of deaths attributed to legal highs has increased by 800 per cent.

“This shows the real dangers faced by people taking these substances,” she said.

“The difficulty with legal highs is although businesses will say they only sell to adults, quite often they end up in the hands of children.

“Users may have no idea what is actually in them.

They are often marked “not for human consumption” which then absolves the seller from any responsibility if the person who has taken them is then ill.”

She added: “There is an increase in the numbers of young people who are under the influence of these products.

“This makes them vulnerable to serious criminality such as child sexual exploitation and to becoming addicted to what are effectively toxins.”

Her warning enforced revelations from North-West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS) over an increase in 999 emergency calls as a result of legal high patients.

NWAS said they contain chemicals which have not been tested for human consumption.

Consequently, there is no way of knowing what effects it will have on the body, both in the short and long term.

NWAS report a growing region-wide trend of people who are using gas products the same way as illegal drugs with serious health consequences resulting in death.

Senior paramedic for NWAS, Wayne Pemberton, said: “These substances are not designed for human consumption and people should not be fooled into thinking they are safe because of their nickname.

“I have witnessed a change in the extremity of the symptoms presented in people who have taken these legal highs, such as hallucination, unconsciousness and even respiratory arrest.

“And, as we have no idea what chemicals have gone into the drugs, it can be difficult to know how to treat these patients.

“It is particularly concerning seeing young people take these substances as they become extremely vulnerable and can easily get themselves into dangerous positions as they lose their inhibitions and are not in control of their actions.”

NWAS has also noticed patients becoming violent and aggressive after taking these substances, which include street names Spice, Haze and Oblivion, posing a threat towards ambulance staff who often bear the brunt of uncontrollable behaviour.

Sector manager for NWAS, David Rigby, said: “The effects of patients taking legal high’ are extremely worrying as symptoms are sporadic and unpredictable.

“We have seen such a wide range of people falling victim to these substances, from youngsters to hardened drug users, as they are found to be easily accessible and relatively cheap to buy but, as we have seen first-hand, the effects can be detrimental.”

One worried Saddleworth father of four, who contacted the Chronicle, told me: “I saw a user breathing in from an inflated balloon while driving an expensive 4x4.

“The gas canisters have been seen being thrown out of moving cars and also littering local beauty spots like Dovestone and in gardens all over Saddleworth.

“Does it take the death of a user or even worse an innocent bystander to be killed to make this legal high illegal?”

If you require further advice on drug use, contact the FRANK drugs helpline on 0300 123 6600 or call NWAS’ 111 Service.