Synthetic Highs (Legal Highs)

[Nicole Watt]

Hi guys, i volunteer for a group called Open and i have created a survey to find out more information on synthetic highs (legal highs) i would greatly appreciate if you could take a few minutes to complete the survey. The survey is completely confidential.

 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZG8H798

[MuckleJoannie]

I heard an anti drugs campaigner on the BBC this morning say that he would recommend that people used cocaine rather than legal highs.

[unlinkedstudent]

Hang on a sec, isn't there mention in the Police thread about synthetic highs?

 

Who are Open?

[shetlandpeat]

could be this Open... http://www.open247.org.uk/about.aspx

[MJ]

Open are a peer education project now based at Market House. It's volunteers are 16-25 and visit various locations including schools and youth groups about various issues. Shetland's been a bit behind in these things, but they've been doing great work. No longer do you have to cringe as your register teacher does the sex and drugs talks at you.

 

and as an edit I'll add their FB page https://www.facebook.com/OpenPeerEducationProject?fref=ts

Edited October 1, 2013 by MJ

[shetlandpeat]

 

OPEN Peer Education Project

26 September via Mobile

Can I ask a favour of u all. Would u share the last post which is a link to our anonymous survey on synthetic highs with as many people as possible. Our aim is to find out what synthetic highs people have heard of in Shetland. So we can find out more info on them and what's in them and share this through our workshops and FB page, it is totally anonymous and survey monkey is a safe way to find out this info, much appreciated, we've had a good few responses but more would help, thanks Una

[orcainn]

Just to let you know that although folks think of these at 'legal'.  What is not legal is to sell them for human consumption so if you are aware of people buying these in bulk from the internet and selling them on please give the police a quick call and it will reduce the availability of these.

 

And please remember to tell anyone doing this that it is in fact not legal to sell it on. 

Edited October 3, 2013 by orcainn

[unlinkedstudent]

I'd just decriminalise the lot to the over 18s, be they legal highs, alcohol, cannabis, coke, speed, crack, nicotine ... tax 'em.

 

And a tad like some comments elsewhere on Shetlink recently - by allegedly "educating" school kids about drugs, you're making them aware of their existence, likewise with the Police going into schools.  Do parents do nothing these days and expect everything to be done by others?

[orcainn]

Unlinkedstudent - I am also a parent and I have done a lot thank you.  However, I am still grateful for the services others provide in terms of education and support.

[shetlandpeat]

There are already threads in Shetlink that discuss drug classifications.

 

It is not often I meet a parent who does nothing. However, unless there is education for the parent, there will be knowledge gaps. Though, many young folk will already know about drugs.

 

We will never stop the drug taking, but if educating folk gives them a informed choice, and they do not take drugs that can harm, then it has worked.

 

It is the lack of knowledge that can harm as much as an illegal substance.

 

Congratulations must go to those who organise and volunteer for "Open".

[unlinkedstudent]

I don't approve of charities doing work that is paid for and should be done by either the local authority or the NHS.  I just don't agree with charities doing more and more that we're already paying for.  We've got MacMillan Nurses educating/advising cancer patients of their options when that was previously done by dedicated trained NHS staff ... do we want to go the way of the USA?  Over there, there was a big do about the mormons adoption agency having the 'contract' but not wanting to allow gays to adopt and also with a catholic adoption agency.  The mormons turned round and said along the lines of "Okay, we won't take your dosh then and will remain a private adoption agency" but the catholic agency didn't, arguing that it was in violation of their religious rights to demand that they said no to prospective gays adopting children in contravention of the service and contract they had agreed with the state(s) to provide.

 

We either have decent, adequate services provided through our taxes or we have them provided totally by charities.  We're on a slippery slope by allowing charities to fill a gap which when all is said and done, we're already paying for, thus encouraging the state to provide less and less because hey, a charity will come along and plug the gap and we can waste the money elsewhere. 

 

Edit:

If the social workers/environmental health/teachers/whomever aren't up to the job of providing the necessary, up-to-date information on drugs then they need additional training or get rid of those positions.  All well and good for parents who want information provided by a charity but to those who don't, can their kids not attend such a lecture?

Edited October 3, 2013 by unlinkedstudent

[shetlandpeat]

That is the current trend, sadly. Various parts of our social infrastructure is being sold off. There will be less services available now.

Charities have always filled a gap, throughout modern history, Governments have donated to charities to do that work, now, they do not as much and charities are closing.

 

Still, you cannot ignore folks want to get involved instead of sitting around. It is brilliant to see young folk get involved like this.