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Mixing Legal Highs with Alcohol: A Guide for Young People

When parties or casual hangouts are in full swing, you might find yourself curious about mixing legal highs with alcohol. Maybe it's pressure from friends, or maybe it's just pure curiosity. But what does this mix actually mean for your health and safety?

Understanding Legal Highs

First up, 'legal highs' is a term that can be a bit misleading. These are substances that produce similar effects to illegal drugs like cocaine or ecstasy, but are not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This doesn't mean they're safe - far from it. They're just not illegal... yet. Common types include synthetic cannabinoids (like those found in 'Spice') and psychoactive substances previously known as 'research chemicals'.

These substances often come with significant risks, and their legal status can change as new laws are passed. The reasons behind their initial legality are generally because they have been slightly altered at a molecular level from banned substances to exploit loopholes in drug regulations.

The Risks of Mixing

Throw alcohol into the mix, and you're looking at a potentially dangerous cocktail. Both legal highs and alcohol affect the central nervous system, but they do so in different ways that can unpredictably interact with each other:

• Increased Health Risks: Combining substances can lead to severe physical and psychological effects, including heart problems, anxiety, and severe psychotic reactions.
• Impaired Judgment: Both alcohol and legal highs can cloud your judgment, leading to risky behaviours, including neglecting safety when crossing roads or engaging in unsafe sexual activities.
• Greater Intoxication: The combined effects might be stronger than anticipated, leading to extreme intoxication, blackouts, and memory loss.

Real-Life Impact on Young People

Consider Jake's story - a real scenario that unfolded not too far from here. At 17, Jake went to a weekend party where he mixed a legal high with alcohol. The night ended with Jake in the emergency room, experiencing severe paranoia and a dangerously high heart rate. It was a terrifying ordeal for him and his family, who hadn't realised the extent of what these substances could do.

This situation isn't rare. Emergency rooms often see similar cases, especially during festival seasons or holidays. The scary part? Many young people aren't aware of how severe the consequences of such a mix can be.

Practical Strategies for Safe Handling

Here's how you can handle situations involving alcohol and legal highs:

• Stay Informed: Know what substances you are putting into your body and understand their effects, both alone and in combination.
• prioritise Safety: If you or a friend start to feel unwell after taking any substance, seek professional medical help immediately - it's better to be safe than sorry.
• Use the Buddy System: Always party with trusted friends and keep an eye on each other. Make agreements beforehand to watch out for one another.
• Communication is Key: Talk openly with peers about the risks associated with legal highs and alcohol. Setting a group norm where it's okay to choose not to partake can be incredibly empowering.
• Emergency Preparedness: Have emergency numbers saved in your phone, and be aware of the location of the nearest hospital when attending social events.

Remember, it's not just about taking care of yourself. It's also about looking out for your friends because you can bet they'll need the same from you at some point.

Conclusion

While there's a lot of focus on the legal status of substances, the health implications are far more critical. It's necessary to question and be cautious of what you're getting into when mixing legal highs with alcohol. The consequences can affect not just your night out but your overall life and future.

Open conversation, education, and critical thinking about these topics can make a difference. Equip yourself with knowledge, and make choices that prioritise your health and safety above all else.

How are you feeling?

It is really important that when we need help, we feel able to ask for it. This could be speaking to a parent, a close friend, a teacher or someone else you trust. Sometimes it can be really hard to share our feelings with other people but if we are feeling low or don't know where to turn, sharing with others is really important. Teachers will always take you seriously and listen to your problems in confidence if you approach them for help. Likewise, parents, siblings or friends will help you if you reach out to them.

If you feel like you can't speak to anyone you know, there are people and organisations that can help support you:

• Childline - Call them on 0800 1111 any time of the day or night, every day of the week
• NSPCC - Call them on 0808 800 5000 between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday or email them on help@NSPCC.org.uk
• The Samaritans – Call them on 116 123 any time of the day or night, every day of the week
• SANE – Call 0300 304 7000 for support (4:30pm - 10:30pm every day)
• Mind – Call 0300 123 3393 (9:00am - 6:00pm Monday to Friday)

*Sometimes we will use real life examples in our articles to aid understanding. When we do, names and ages will be changed.