Six months since the government banned so-called legal highs we would like to find out how the legislation – designed to outlaw trade in synthetic chemicals that imitate the effects of traditional illicit drugs – has changed your work with people who use them.
Possession of the substances outside a prison is not a criminal offence, and a group of doctors and paramedics told the BBC this week that the ban on their sale – enacted on 25 May this year – hadn’t made much difference to the numbers of people falling ill. Government advisors have previously told the Guardian the ban would fail to eradicate certain substances such as spice, often referred to as synthetic cannabis.
Office for National Statistics data said deaths involving new psychoactive substances – the official term for the substances now banned – increased sharply over the last 5 years, with 114 deaths registered in 2015 (up from 82 deaths in 2014).
If you work in any capacity with people who have used legal highs we would like to hear what effect the legislation has had. You can share your views – anonymously if you wish – via the form below. We’’ll use a selection in our ongoing reporting.
