Legal highs facts
Street 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.
How they affect you
Similar effects to illegal drugs.
As well as the listed ingredients, they also contain manufactured chemicals, which have a psychoactive (altering your mental state) effect.
Risks, signs and symptoms
Never forget, just because a substance is legal that doesn’t mean it’s safe.
You generally don’t know the mixture and quantity of the chemicals in legal highs, so don’t know how dangerous they are.
They can be as powerful as skunk, is a very strong form of cannabis.
Salvia divinorum gives you hallucinations if you smoke or chew it. An American teenager who used it recently committed suicide.
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 shouldn’t mix these with alcohol.
Kratom has stimulant (increasing alertness and energy) though can work as a depressant (relaxing you) for some people.
GBL (gamma-butyrolactone) is closely related to GHB, which was banned five years ago. It is a fast-acting drug, which can be hypnotic and create a feeling of happiness, especially when mixed with alcohol. GBL can also cause sickness, coma and death.
BZP (benzylpiperazine) has effects similar to ecstasy, with decreased appetite, increased heart rate and tingling skin. Effects last between four to eight hours but you may be unable to sleep for as long as 10 hours after taking it. It may also cause memory loss and overstimulation of the brain, making you feel anxious and even have 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.
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