What can we do to keep our young people safe from ‘legal’ drugs?

We investigate the options for dealing with the new drugs threat that is risking the lives of young people.

So-called “legal high” drugs are never far from the headlines. Only this week

The Global Drugs Survey has revealed that Brits take the most legal highs, with 12% of people saying they have tried them.

Police said organised crime gangs are manufacturing their own versions of legal highs, which are often unfit for human consumption.

An Angus shop was forced to close its doors after a 2,000-strong Facebook group organised a campaign to drive it out of town.

Helen Henderson, 19, from Renfrew, became the latest youngster to die after allegedly taking a former legal high, mephedrone, and ketamine, a horse tranquiliser.

As communities, parents and professionals across the country call for a solution to deal with the new drugs threat that is risking the lives of young people, Ali Kirker examines the options.

1. SHUT THE SHOPS Carey Allen is part of the 2,000 strong Arbroath Against Legal High Drugs Facebook group, which succeeded in getting Declaration, a shop in the town selling legal highs, to close its doors.

How would you deal with the problem of legal highs? “Shutting the shops that sell these drugs is a big help. In our case, people power has made the difference. We started our Facebook group on Hogmanay. Within 12 hours, we had 1,200 members and now we’ve got almost 2,000. The strength of feeling is unbelievable.”

Why is shutting the shops the answer? “It doesn’t get rid of the problem of legal highs altogether. You can still buy them online. But we had kids going into this shop during school lunchtimes. Getting rid of this shop has made it harder to get them, it’s a gateway that’s been closed. It gives an air of respectability that they must be safe. Let’s take that away.”

Signs of success? “The same people power is now pressing to close another shop in Montrose. When a similar shop in Arbroath started selling legal highs, we explained the dangers and they withdrew them from sale.”

2. TACKLE WITH TRADING STANDARDS Graeme Pearson is Labour MSP for South Scotland and former Director of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency.

How would you deal with the problem? “There is NO safe way to take drugs. The legal high tag allows people to suggest there’s no harm. Trading Standards should be involved to check exactly what’s in these substances. HMRC involvement is also a way to place all those producing or selling legal highs under specific regulations, making it much tougher for people to sell the products. “Education is key. Legal doesn’t mean safe 36 deaths in 2012 is testament to that. Schools, the Scottish Government, parents and professionals must educate our young people on the dangers.”

Why is trying to reduce drug use through education the answer? “It’s difficult to rely on simply making all legal highs illegal because of the ever-changing chemistry of the drugs involved. Outlaw one and it’s replaced with another. So education is crucial, as is putting more pressure on those producing and selling them.”

Signs of success? “In Belfast, the council are pursuing the problem using Trading Standards officers and tax officials. It’s chasing off many who would normally become involved.”

3. EDUCATE AND TEST Jeremy Adderley is Senior Manager at Crew, an organisation that “neither condones nor condemns” those who take drugs but aims to reduce harm for those who choose to use.

How would you deal with the problem? “Inform and support critical to getting messages about risk across. There’s all sorts of problematic drug use but using new drugs like legal highs with no history of human consumption is nave. We don’t have enough information about them to determine risk, so we also support drug testing services, which is proposed for Scotland.”

Why is education and testing the answer? “We accept drug use is going to happen, so educating people in a non-judgmental and credible way is critical to getting messages about risk across. Most crisis situations involving drugs arise with nave use, or when drugs are combined, typically with alcohol.”

Signs of success? “We have campaigned at events such as T in the Park, where Crew joined with Police Scotland, highlighting to people the risks of drugs like “green Rolexes”. Drug testing, where users can get drugs tested for info about them, is already happening in Wales.”

4. LEGALISE ALL DRUGS Danny Kushlick is Head of External Affairs at Transform Drug Policy Foundation.

How would you deal with the problem? “The reason legal highs exist is that prohibition has now reduced the quality of drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine. Legal highs are taking their place. The only way to stem this flow is to make illegal drugs legal, in order for for people to use them. “In the short term we need more control over legal highs. If you ban them, they end up in the hands of criminals. At the moment sweet shops are selling them. Is that what we want? Sell them from licensed premises.”

Why do you think legalisation is the answer? “Look at mephedrone. It was banned and pushed underground. No drug is made safer in the hands of organised criminals and dealers. That’s what happens when they’re banned. Bring in licensing with a list of ingredients.”

Signs of success? “In New Zealand, the onus is on people who sell and produce legal highs to take it through clinical trials before they get on to the market. That’s innovative. By 2020, there will be changes in UK drug policy.”

CAROLE’S STORY Carole Connelly’s son Liam died after taking a legal high in 2010. Carole, of Dundee, believes that drugs education should start in nursery school.

“I honestly believe we should be telling kids about drugs from a young age, even in nursery,” she says. “Liam died after taking bubbles (mephedrone), and although that’s now illegal, it’s been replaced by others.

“People think nursery kids are too young, but I can assure you that in some parts, children will be seeing their parents taking drugs, or legal highs, at home. So without a doubt education is key. Because I wouldn’t want any other family to go through what we’ve been through.”

Carole was aware Liam was using legal highs and that he was developing mental health issues. “I tried to get him help, but it was so hard. One doctor said to me he was just behaving like a teenager,” she says. “Well, I knew my son, better than any doctor who was only going to see him for 10 minutes,” she says. “I had to take him to the doctor on many occasions because of the side effects. They were horrendous, he’d rock back and forward and complain about the severe pain he was in. We were dying inside.

“He needed help, but it was years before doctors realised he did have a problem. By then it was too late.”

Four years on, the day that Liam died is still a raw memory for Carole. “Every time I hear of another family going through what we went through, I grieve all over again. My heart goes out to them.

“Other families will continue to suffer until something changes. Every time Liam was going out, we’d worry he was using legal highs. Weekends were the worst, almost like we were waiting for that knock on the door. I just wish he’d lived. Even if he’d been left brain damaged, I’d have looked after him forever.

“I don’t want to get on with my life, but I have to because I’ve got two other kids and a grandchild. But I’ll never get over Liam’s death. My heart is broken.”