Legal high clinics open to combat substance abuse

The first legal high clinic has opened in Brighton to try to raise awareness of the dangers of abusing substances and help people to quit their addiction. The clinics are run by Crime Reduction Initiative (CRI), a health and social care charity.

Several young people have died after taking legal party drugs. In 2009, Hester Stewart, a medical student from Brighton, died at the age of 21 years after taking GBL. It was legal at the time.

CRI says that the new clinics will offer “a range of services from advice and information to a full assessment and access to structured treatment”.

Michael Lawrence works at CRI and explained that novel psychoactive substances (NPS), often called ‘legal highs’ or ‘club drugs’, have become more prevalent in Brighton over the last year. More people appear to be turning to club drugs than illegal substances, oblivious to the fact that legal substances can be just as dangerous; in fact, some substances have more serious acute side effects than some illegal drugs.

The new clinic is working with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and is open twice a week. One is at 11 St George’s Place, just north of Victoria Gardens on the A23.

One person dies every week from taking legal highs. While steps have been taken to make drugs such as meow meow, Black Mamba and Benzo Fury illegal, party drugs are still being increasingly abused in the UK.

The most important message is this: a legal substance is not a safe substance when it is abused.