'Legal highs' warning

That was the alarming message from a local PSNI Crime Team Officer speaking at the recent Borough-wide schools forum.

The matter of 'legal highs' was reported in the 'MAIL' earlier this year with police seizing a quantity of material from a local shop for forensic testing.

The substances are also readily available on the internet - often sold as plant food.

To help raise awareness amongst parents about these legal high Craigavon Community Safety Partnership (CCSP) is working with local police and secondary school principals in two different ways.

A letter containing information on legal highs has been sent to all principals in the Craigavon Borough, urging them to supply all parents with information so that they can take proactive steps to prevent their youngsters from being involved in this activity.

They have also developed a leaflet called ‘Drugs and Alcohol: The Facts’ which provides information regarding all drugs including what they are, their effects and their legality. This will also, be available to schools and through PSNI Neighbourhood Policing Teams.

A legal high is a derivative of the naturally occurring plant stimulant Cathinone. It goes by a number of names including 4-methylmethcathinone (4-MMC), Mephedrone, Methylone and MCAT. The common name for legal highs are Meow, meow, khat food, Meph, magic, plant food and legal ‘E’.

The risks from legal highs are frightening - you increase the risk to yourself if you combine alcohol with any substance that causes a 'high', including the risk of death. Other risks include reduced inhibitions, drowsiness, excited or paranoid states, coma and seizures.

”The risks associated with these legal highs are terrifying because the simple fact is they can cause death,” commented Councillor Mairead O’Dowd, Chair of the CCSP and DPP.

“The CCSP and local police are trying to work proactively with schools to ensure that this message is delivered to all our young people to arm them with the facts. Legal highs can contain a range of potentially dangerous chemicals, and their chemical makeup changes all the time - so you can never be 100 per cent certain what you have bought and what the effects might be.

“Just because it isn’t a crime to possess these legal highs doesn’t mean they are safe and we urge young people to take note and to think twice if they are considering experimenting with these drugs – the consequences can be devastating.”

Chief Inspector Jason Murphy agreed and added: “We have known for several months that these so-called Legal Highs have been available and that young people are experimenting with them.

"The fact remains that none of us know what these substances actually contain but what is clear is that they are potentially fatal. My officers are committed to addressing the ongoing issues and assisting parents to prevent young people placing themselves at risk.

“I would appeal to anyone with information about drugs to please contact the local Neighbourhood Policing Teams at Portadown, Lurgan and Brownlow on 0845 600 8000.”

For more information please contact Lynette Burke, Crime Reductions Initiatives Project Coordinator on 3831 2529 or lynette.burke@craigavon.gov.uk