There is quite a lot of controversy across Europe over legal highs at the moment which I wish only to deal with the facts to allow you to make your own decision and opinion on them. I want to give you as much information about legal highs as I can which I have sourced from reputable drug information services and websites such as Talk To Frank. I hope the information I provide gives you the knowledge on whether or not you want to take them, as from my experience if you’re going to take something you are going to take it regardless of what anyone says to you and only you can make the decision. When I think about all the illegal and legal drugs I have consumed I probably wouldn’t have tried half of them knowing what they was and what effects they was going to have on me, with proper information and guidance it would have allowed me to make an informed decision whether to take them or leave them.
Here are some REAL facts on legal highs for you:
- Legal highs contain one or more chemicals which provide the same effect as illegal drugs
- They are NOT for human consumption
- The chemicals found in legal highs are not banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
- There is not enough research around the dangers these chemicals cause or what would happen when mixed with other drugs like alcohol
- You cannot be sure what is in the product
- Just because they are named legal does not make them all safe to use
- Some people have been admitted to hospital after using them due to poisoning and some cases even death.
What are the effects of legal highs?
The effects of “psychoactive drugs” and legal highs are put into three categories which are:
- Stimulants
- Downers or Sedatives
- Psychedelics or hallucinogens
You need to be aware that although the drugs in each of these categories provide similar effects they will have a completely different effect for each user.
Stimulant Legal Highs
These act like amphetamines such as speed or cocaine and make you feel full of energy, increased heart rate, active, fast thinking, over thinking, talkative, euphoric, sweaty, hot and cold.
Downer Legal Highs
These legal highs act like cannabis, diazepam and valium and make you feel sleepy, tired, relaxed, calm, like your floating, euphoric, weak.
Psychedelic Legal highs
These legal highs act like magic mushrooms, LSD, ketamine and methoxetamine. They make you hallucinate, in some cases people see or hear things that aren’t really there, sometimes scary sometimes beautiful. You get feelings of euphoria, warmth, alert and give you a feeling of “enlightenment”.
Our next article will focus on the risks of legal highs and the law surrounding them… check a look out! I would also like to add and stress that these products are NOT for human consumption.