Stimulating credible responses to legal highs

www.crew2000.org.uk

www.crew2000.org.uk

Today we are looking at…

• Definition of legal highs• How and where Crew gather information

from• How we disseminate that information • The challenges of gathering credible

information• How we can work together to create a

national response

www.crew2000.org.uk

• Definition ( but by no means definitive)• “Legal Highs are substances made from

assorted herbs, herbal extracts and ‘research chemicals’, which emulate the effects of some illegal drugs such as Cannabis, LSD, Cocaine, or others. These substances are not currently controlled by the Misuse of Drugs or Medicine Acts.”

Arthur & Grunert (2005)

www.crew2000.org.uk

www.crew2000.org.uk

Ivory waveIvory wave

Benzo fury

Benzo fury

NRG-1, 2, 3NRG-1, 2, 3

MDAI5-AI

MDAI5-AI

www.crew2000.org.uk

• Monitoring trends via outreach to music events/universities/clubs and drop-in

• Questionnaires and surveys• Expert user interviews• Various drug forums• EU Safer nightlife initiative• Other agencies-info exchange• European social work placements• John Moores university-analysis

www.crew2000.org.uk

• Brief interventions with service users• Training and capacity building• Compiling information sheets and cards• Updating website regularly• Mail shots• Briefing partnership agencies• Briefing front line staff at events

www.crew2000.org.uk

• Limited access to drug testing and analysis

• Often based on service user reports-not always 100% accurate

• Timescales before a substance is made illegal can also be a barrier

www.crew2000.org.uk

• Vital we share local intelligence

• Communication network

• National working group

• Tap and feed into early warning systems around E.U

www.crew2000.org.uk

• Amnesty bins

• Facilities for drug analysis

• Organisations linked in with public health warnings

• Establish a legal highs communications network

www.crew2000.org.uk

• 4 Pilot areas

• Capacity building

• Training to front line staff

• Info exchange with partnership agencies

• Project is action research

www.crew2000.org.uk

www.crew2000.org.uk

www.crew2000.org.ukwww.erowid.org

Speaker contact details: Katy MacLeod

[email protected] Arthur

[email protected] Crew: 0131 220 3404