UK police issue warning over ‘legal highs’ after seven users fall ill

Police officers has issued a warning over the dangerous effects of ‘legal highs’ following an incident which found seven people ill after taking the substance in Newcastle, UK.

The Northern Echo reported that police believed that the seven individuals had consumed a kind of legal high called Exodus aka “Red-X”. On Sunday evening, the police had worked on four incidents which found individuals who are between 23-47 years old displayed signs of severe weakness.

To this end, police said that they are taking “immediate action”, as they work on issuing a closure notice under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. According to Mirror, officers have now identified the source of the life-threatening substances.

Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Dave Gould has released a statement following the incident. He said: "People think these so called legal highs are safe but they are far from it.”

"They contain harmful substances that are not meant for human consumption and can have serious consequences and I would urge anyone who has taken them and feels unwell to seek immediate medical attention,” Gould continued.

Gould emphasized that legal highs also manifest other negative effects and symptoms including: reduced inhibitions, drowsiness, paranoia and seizures among others. Additionally, he warned that the risks are greater if users mix them with alcohol or other uppers. Unfortunately, the result can be fatal in extreme cases, Gould said.

Legal Highs mimic the effects of illegal drugs such as cocaine and cannabis, Express has learned. It also contains chemicals that have not been tested for human consumption.

Last year, more than sixty fatalities linked to legal highs have been recorded in England and Wales.

It’s yet to be determined as to whether the UK government will issue a national warning over the dangerous and fatal effects of legal highs.