What are new psychoactive substances and how can they influence our health?
Often incorrectly referred to as ‘legal highs’, new psychoactive substances are chemical substances which produce similar symptoms to illegal drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy. The UK had the highest rate of legal high purchases in 2015 of any country surveyed in the largest study of drug use worldwide.*
THE DRUGS
Stimulants, ‘downers’ or sedatives, psychedelics or hallucinogens and synthetic cannabinoids are the main four categories used to define the symptoms of most psychoactive drugs. You may be familiar with the names of a few of the most common ‘legal highs’, for example…
Mephedrone: Commonly known as meow meow, M-cat or white magic, mephedrone is a stimulant that produces a similar symptoms to ecstasy or cocaine in that it can make you feel energised, physically active and euphoric.
Salvia: Otherwise known as Mexican Magic Mint is an hallucinogenic drug similar to magic mushrooms or LSD, which can cause hallucinations and induce feelings of being detached from the world around you.
Synthetic Cannabinoids such as Spice or Black Mamba produce similar effects to cannabis, including intoxication, relaxation, altered consciousness and disinhibition.
THE RISKS
The main risk associated with new psychoactive substances is that you can’t be sure what the ‘legal high’ you have purchased contains or how it might influence your health.
There has been very little research done into the health risks associated with these drugs. They can have wildly different strengths and effects on different people. These risks increase if the drug is combined with alcohol or another psychoactive drug.
Quite often they contain different substances to what is on the packaging and they are known to be addictive. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 76 deaths that involved ‘legal highs’ between 2004 and 2013.
THE LAW
Under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 it is now illegal to produce, supply or be in possession of a psychoactive substance. The maximum sentence that can be imposed is 7 years imprisonment.
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/drugs/Pages/Drugsoverview.aspx
http://www.talktofrank.com/drug/new-psychoactive-substances
http://visual.ons.gov.uk/deaths-from-legal-highs/
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/psychoactive-substances-bill-2015