Legal highs facts
How they affect you
- Similar effects to criminalised drugs.
- As well as the listed ingredients, they contain synthetic chemicals, which have a psychoactive effect.
Other names
Spice, Sence, Magic, salvia divinorum, party pills, kratom, GBL, BZP, Raz, Charge, Snow Blow, Happy Caps, Blessed, Diablo, Doves, Summer Haze, Pep pills, A2, Nemesis, Frenzy and Legal E.
The risks, signs and symptoms
- You generally don’t know the mixture and quantity of the chemicals in legal highs, giving the potential for harm.
- There are concerns that they can be as powerful as skunk, which is a potent form of cannabis.
- Salvia divinorum gives you hallucinations if you smoke or chew it. It recently drew controversy after the suicide of an American teenager who had used it.
- Party powders attempt to mimic drugs that are snorted, like cocaine. The effects last about 30 minutes and they can cause dehydration and increased heart rate.
- Party pills may be chemically similar to amphetamines or ecstasy but are not controlled under the law. They claim to boost energy and heighten awareness. You should not mix these with alcohol.
- Kratom has stimulant qualities, though can work as a depressant for some people.
- GBL (gamma-butyrolactone) is closely related to GHB, which was banned five years ago. It is a fast-acting drug, with hypnotic and euphoric effects, especially when mixed with alcohol. GBL can also cause nausea, coma and death.
- BZP (benzylpiperazine) has effects similar to ecstasy, with decreased appetite, increased heart rate and tingling skin. Effects last between 4-8 hours but you may be unable to sleep for as long as 10 hours after taking it. It may cause memory loss and overstimulation of the brain, causing anxiety and possible convulsions.
How you can reduce the risks
- The only way to fully reduce the risks from legal highs is to not take them.
- Mixing with other substances can increase the risks, and some legal highs should not be taken with alcohol.