Club drugs and NPS

'If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.'

The world of mind altering substances is changing at frightening speed. It used to be unusual if a new recreational drug turned up once every five years, now there are dozens, perhaps hundreds, turning up year after year. The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 made them all illegal to sell or import, but there is no sign that this having an impact on the problem. What are these new drugs, where do they come from, and what do we need to know about them?

• What do we mean by club drugs and what do we mean by legal highs?
• Why are some of the legal highs so potentially dangerous?
• What are the most common drugs used by clubbers?
• Why is chem-sex an issue, and which drugs does it tend to involve?
• What are the drugs we should be aware of?
• What are the health risks with ketamine?
• Why is heavy use of GHB so dangerous?
• Why is methamphetamine different from cocaine, and what are the risks involved in it's use?
• What are drug groups, and why do they help us work with new substances?
• What are the referral pathways for these drugs?

This workshop is intended to highlight some of the known risks from the 'newer' drugs that have become prevalent over the past decade, look at some of the sub-cultures involved with certain types of drug use, and raise awareness of the changing patterns of drug use within the Build on Belief staff and volunteer team.