Drug campaign recently launched by the UK government
Earlier this month, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) found that several so-called “legal highs” have unpredictable effects on health.
Substances such as GBL (gammabutyrolactone), synthetic cannabinoids, and BZP, a synthetic stimulant, have been recommended by the council to be banned and be re-classified as Class C drugs.
For the past 18 months, at least four people died of drug overdose and fatal drug interactions with alcohol. This, according to Alan Johnson, resulted from misconceptions that legal drugs are safe to consume.
However, what these young people failed to know is that these “legal highs” has detrimental effects especially when mixed with alcohol.
A campaign was recently launched by the home secretary, which will aim to educate especially the young people about the substances that they are taking, its effects and adverse drug interactions. The campaign also includes advertising in clubs, student websites and music magazines such as Mix Mag regarding the dangers of taking these substances.
Several drug reform activists see the campaign as incompetence by the government. However, it would be better to regulate them than to take no action at all, as these substances are undoubtedly harmful.
An additional 24 anabolic steroids with testosterone like properties and two growth promoters will also be added in the list of Class C drugs.
From Politics:
“Through this campaign we want to educate young people who might be tempted to experiment with ‘legal highs‘ that they don’t know what they are taking and these substance can have devastating effects, particularly when mixed with alcohol.”
