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New report shows extent of legal high problem in North East

Fears are growing in the North East over the addictiveness of legal high drugs, which is leading to users begging on the street.

A new report published by the charity Changing Lives reveals that the use of legal high drugs, also known as novel psychoactive substances (NPS), has increased dramatically in the north of England over the past year.

The charity carried out interviews with current users of legal highs and former addicts, with many claiming to have begun using the freely-available substances as substitutes for illegal drugs. Other users put their usage down to pressure from their peer groups or merely curiosity. Many of the users said that the legal high drugs, with names such as Happy Joker, Clockwork Orange and Exodus, were more powerful than some illegal drugs they had used.

Many users were taking legal highs every day, with the majority admitting that their use had become routine. Of those interviewed 24 claimed to be spending an average of £100 each week on the substances, with some resorting to begging to fund their habit. Beggars are much in evidence in Newcastle city centre.

The legal highs are believed to be entering Europe from India and China and are being repackaged before being shipped to the North East. One of the many concerns surrounding legal highs is that the packaging is being specifically designed to attract young people.

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