Legal Highs used by todays teens: are they dangerous?

Here at Addiction Helper we receive many calls from parents concerned over their teenager’s recreational use of so call legal drugs. The common misconception is that because a drug is legal, it can’t be harmful or addictive. Addiction Helper realises and understands that legal highs can carry the same dangerous consequences and side effects as more well-known and publicised illegal drugs, such a cocaine and ecstasy. With many of the legal highs on todays market, replicating their effects, little is known about the dangers involved or the long term damage on the users’ health. In addition do your children really know what is in the substance that they are taking and its ability to lead to addiction?

Legal Highs

Legal highs can come in similar forms to well know illegal alternatives

Properties and effects

Common street and club drugs used by teenagers are gas, glue, over the counter non prescription drugs, Mephedrone, also known as MCAT, Meow and Bubble, (although this has now been classified as a class B drug). Methoxetamine, hailed as the latest designer club drug, also known as Mexxy and Roflcoptr, This too has recently been given a temporary class banning its import and sale for 12 months). All these drugs have addictive properties and carry adverse side effects that can cause long term damage to the users mental and physical health, ultimately their use can result in psychosis or liver damage.

Little is known about all the long term effects that can result from using so called legal high substances, but the evidence so far suggests that they are all damaging. Many drugs can be cut with other more harmful drugs or substances, to produce a more potent effect, making them more addictive, so that the user returns to the dealer for more, or to increase the sellers profit margins.

How parents of teenagers can help

Here at Addiction Helper feel that it is important for parents to keep themselves up to date on the latest legal and illegal drugs on the market, and to ensure that their children are well educated and well informed. As any parent knows, it is impossible to keep a close eye on your child’s conduct 24/7, especially when they reach teenage years, but you can ensure that when they are offered a drug, they are at least in possession of the full facts of the possible risks and side effects that’s could result from taking it.

Sam Harding

Paul

I work for Addiction Helper. I am passionate about providing information and support for anyone affected by addiction. Please feel free to get in touch if you would like to discuss any of the information on our website

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003406444278 Agajaba

    Had a friend in College (mom a life long Christian Scientist, which he splposeduy became, last I heard.) who through his research had access to some pretty pure pharmaceutical stuff.He always claimed that the original (often plant-based) drugs were usually better than “new and improved.”Seemed true in those days:Certainly chewing Coca leaves must have been a healthier habit than refined stuff, and recently had a stay at the hospital which luckily has an enlightened pain-management policy.Hard to imagine how morphine could be improved on, at least for me, but feel no “need” for it now that pain is gone.(Worry about living w/o non-steroidals from now on a bit tho, so if you have a post on a safe substitute for those, I would appreciate the tip.)

  • melanie

    My sons behaviour is appalling he has lied cheated deceived and stole. I was devastated thinking he was a ‘smackhead’ but am still devastated as its ‘legal highs’ hes addicted to and the internet information on these is scary – more so as it is so widely accepted. I have a struggling business and haven’t a penny to my name, robbing Peter to pay Paul on a daily basis to keep the business afloat. My son is well aware of this and at the weekend he stole £100 which he knew we needed for essential stock. He looks terrible… he looks like a typical drug addict. So much for legal.