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See other news stories'Legal highs' risks exposed
21 September 2009
A new information campaign highlighting the risks of so-called 'legal highs' has been launched by the Home Secretary.
The FRANK campaign (new window) highlights the potential danger of these substances, particularly when mixed with alcohol.
The theme is that these are dangerous substances, and you never know what you are taking, or what effect they might have on your body. The campaign, aimed at 18 to 24 year old clubbers, uses the character of 'the crazy chemist' who wants to recruit human lab rats to try his latest batch of noxious concoctions.
The campaign includes:
- advertising in and outside clubs, in bars and in record shops
- online targeted advertising that appears when people try to buy certain 'legal highs' online
- adverts and articles on clubbing and student websites
- working with the National Union of Student, distributing posters and flyers at student events
- working with Mixmag magazine, advertising in the magazine and distributing posters and flyers
Dangerous chemicals
Alan Johnson said: 'There is sometimes a misconception that because a substance is legal it is safe to consume: that is not the case, they are dangerous chemicals.
'Through this campaign, we want to educate young people who might be tempted to experiment with “legal highs”, that they don't know what they are taking and these substance can have devastating effects, particularly when mixed with alcohol.'
Last month the government set out plans to control a range of so-called 'legal highs' including:
- GBL (gamma-butyrolactone), a chemical solvent
- synthetic cannabinoids (man-made chemicals sprayed on herbal smoking products like 'Spice')
- BZP (benzylpiperazine), a synthetic stimulant
Subject to parliamentary approval, these substances will be banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 by the end of the year.
