Cumbria police have joined forces with the health service, local authorities, charities and drug support workers to deliver impactive talks to youngsters about the dangers of the legal high, mephedrone.
The drug, known also as meow meow, bubble or drone, is a chemical plant food that is not fit for human consumption. Despite this warning, police have found that the substance is becoming increasingly popular amongst young people due to its side effects, availability and current legal status.
After receiving community intelligence about children as young as eleven experimenting with mephedrone, officers have been going into local schools with partner agencies to expose the truth about its effects which, along with a cocktail of other drugs, contributed to the deaths of two Lincolnshire teenagers last week.
Officers, supported by The Rising Sun Trust leader, Dave Smith, who tragically lost his son to drugs 11 years ago and members of the Drug and Alcohol Action Team, are painting a comprehensive picture to pupils of the risks associated with the substance and other controlled drugs in a bid to prevent them coming to serious harm.
Detective Chief Inspector Graham Coles said: “Mephedrone poses a very real threat to the communities of Cumbria.
“Young people wrongly assume that the substance is safe because it is currently legal, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is that people who take the substance are seriously risking their health – no-one knows what this drug is mixed with or the long term effects that it can have. It has not been tested and we don’t yet know for sure the danger that this drug presents.
“People are attracted to mephedrone as it has similar effects to ecstasy or amphetamine but as with all legal highs, the effects can be unpredictable. Some people who have used the substance have been rushed to hospital with breathing difficulties, dizziness, nose bleeds, increased heart rates, depression, psychosis and diarrhoea. Others have experienced heart failure, fallen into a coma and tragically, two teenagers from Lincoln have died.
“In Cumbria, we want to do all we can to educate our communities, so we are teaming up with experts around the county to expose the extent of the known risks to school children.
“It is sold as a white powder but can also be found in a capsule or pill form. Although it may be legal, if you are caught in the possession of a white powder you will be arrested until we can prove what the substance is.”
Prof John Ashton is NHS Cumbria’s Director of Public Health. He said: “The problems surrounding drugs such as mephedrone or so called ‘legal highs’ are that in most cases these substances have never before been used as drugs, so they have not had tests performed on them to show what effect they could have on a person physiologically or physically, which is where the danger lies.
“Only by being honest and open with young people and having these conversations about the effects drug use has on both society and people’s health can we hope to prevent more young people from being pulled into the world of drug addiction. This work however can not be done alone, its vital that we get communities, parents, schools and young people on board to help spread this message and protect young people as a result.”
Barbara Fleary, Risk Behaviour Manager at Cumbria County Council said: “The Risk Taking Behaviour Partnership has commissioned the Drugs, Alcohol and Sexual Health (DASH) service to offer young people and their parents important information and advice on all aspects of drug and alcohol use and sexual health all year round. DASH employees work closely with Healthy Schools to ensure that staff and pupils have access to all the information they need and mephedrone will now be a key part of their work.
“On 30th March, the Risk Taking Behaviour Partnership has invited 100 young people to a Youth Summit at Rheged to share their views on drugs, alcohol and teenage pregnancy. Mephedrone will be high on the agenda at the event so that young people can share their views and concerns and influence how the information and services they want and need in Cumbria are provided.
“NHS professor John Ashton and Moira Swann, the Director of Children's Services will be some of the experts on hand to answer questions and join in the interesting debates."
Police officers will also be available at a drop in centre in the south of the county this weekend alongside Connexions to offer help and support. Any children, parents or friends who want help or advice about mephedrone or drugs in general, can drop into Connexions on Dalton Rd, Barrow between 12-2pm on Saturday afternoon (27 March).
For more information about drugs and the law or for help and advice visit any of the following sites:
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