Legal Highs: Drugs Charity Warns Of Dangers

The dangers of so-called legal highs and club drugs are being highlighted in a new campaign.

The Angelus Foundation said its research suggests a third of 16 to 24 year olds are now likely to try them - but the risks are almost completely unknown and many can be potentially fatal.

The substances may contain a dangerous combination of toxic chemicals which produce side effects such as psychosis, depression, panic attacks, heart problems, seizures, coma, loss of use of the bladder and even death.

Maryon Stewart set the charity up after her 21-year-old daughter Hester died taking the drug GBL in 2009. 

The medical student was given half a dose which, combined with the alcohol she had consumed during an awards dinner, sent her into a coma.

Amy Winehouse's father Mitch has backed the awareness campaign.

Recently, GBL, mephedrone and ketamine have been made illegal but many unregulated legal highs such as Benzo Fury and MDAI are still widely available over the internet and without health hazard warnings.

Mrs Stewart says the Find Out campaign will help give young people the facts about the dangers.

"There has been an unprecedented influx of new legal highs in the country," she said.

"Currently there is a huge knowledge gap in their effects and the dangers they present. Legal does not mean safe.

"Angelus is devoted to raising awareness of the dangers of legal highs and club drugs and providing information and impartial advice to both young people and parents alike."

The campaign is backed by the Amy Winehouse Foundation, named after the singer who died of alcohol poisoning in July 2011. 

Her father Mitch Winehouse said: "A whole generation of young people is at risk from legal highs simply because they don't know what serious harm they can come to by taking them.

"We're delighted to be working collaboratively with the Angelus Foundation to help set the record straight about the dangers of legal highs and club drugs, and to prevent any more senseless deaths."

The charity said 28 new legal highs have become available in the UK in the first five months of this year alone - and the figure is set to rise in 2013.

A number of other deaths have been attributed to legal highs including Joseph Bennett, 17, who died last week after inhaling nitrous oxide.

Police in Scotland confirmed three people had been taken to hospital at the same time earlier this month after taking a legal high called Annihilation.

In February, Northumbria Police issued a warning over the use of legal highs after the death of 18-year-old Andrew Lourie.

In March 2011, 21-year-old Louise Cattell took a dose of ketamine and drowned in her bath while watching a DVD.

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