Nearly half of ‘legal highs’ are illegal

A recent study by a well-respected doctor has revealed that nearly half of all so-called ‘legal highs’ contain illegal substances and prescription-only drugs.

Researchers conducted a study of legal drugs in the Birmingham area and found that around 40% of the products tested contained illegal substances, mostly class B drugs; in addition, some products contained prescription-only medicine such as Viagra. Many of the drugs tested posed a danger to health.

The research was carried out by Birmingham Trading Standards, which took samples from retailers and passed them on to Birmingham City Hospital for testing.

Dr Jonathan Berg conducted the testing and following the revelations said: “People taking legal highs are the guinea pigs. Results from tests showed that around 40% contain classified drugs or prescription-only medication.”

Birmingham City Hospital has recently seen in increase in the number of admissions for people who have been taking legal highs. In one of the most serious substance abuse cases a baby was born with AKB-48 in its system.

Dr Berg said: “Legal highs come in various forms, such as powders, pills, plant materials – which mimic marijuana – and even vapour refills for e-cigarettes. They are always sold for ‘research purposes’ and never for human consumption. But the majority of people buying them do ingest the drugs, which can have deadly consequences. They are nasty chemicals and kill people.”

Even though many people have collapsed recently, requiring emergency medical treatment, shops in the city continue to sell the drugs.