stimulating credible responses to legal highs
DESCRIPTION
Stimulating credible responses to legal highs. With John Arthur- Director Katy MacLeod- Training and Outreach Coordinator Crew. Welcome…. Today we are looking at… Definition of legal highs How and where Crew gather information from How we disseminate that information - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
www.crew2000.org.uk
www.crew2000.org.uk
Today we are looking at…
• Definition of legal highs• How and where Crew gather information
from• How we disseminate that information • The challenges of gathering credible
information• How we can work together to create a
national response
www.crew2000.org.uk
• Definition ( but by no means definitive)• “Legal Highs are substances made from
assorted herbs, herbal extracts and ‘research chemicals’, which emulate the effects of some illegal drugs such as Cannabis, LSD, Cocaine, or others. These substances are not currently controlled by the Misuse of Drugs or Medicine Acts.”
Arthur & Grunert (2005)
www.crew2000.org.uk
www.crew2000.org.uk
Ivory waveIvory wave
Benzo fury
Benzo fury
NRG-1, 2, 3NRG-1, 2, 3
MDAI5-AI
MDAI5-AI
www.crew2000.org.uk
• Monitoring trends via outreach to music events/universities/clubs and drop-in
• Questionnaires and surveys• Expert user interviews• Various drug forums• EU Safer nightlife initiative• Other agencies-info exchange• European social work placements• John Moores university-analysis
www.crew2000.org.uk
• Brief interventions with service users• Training and capacity building• Compiling information sheets and cards• Updating website regularly• Mail shots• Briefing partnership agencies• Briefing front line staff at events
www.crew2000.org.uk
• Limited access to drug testing and analysis
• Often based on service user reports-not always 100% accurate
• Timescales before a substance is made illegal can also be a barrier
www.crew2000.org.uk
• Vital we share local intelligence
• Communication network
• National working group
• Tap and feed into early warning systems around E.U
www.crew2000.org.uk
• Amnesty bins
• Facilities for drug analysis
• Organisations linked in with public health warnings
• Establish a legal highs communications network
www.crew2000.org.uk
• 4 Pilot areas
• Capacity building
• Training to front line staff
• Info exchange with partnership agencies
• Project is action research
www.crew2000.org.uk
www.crew2000.org.uk
www.crew2000.org.ukwww.erowid.org
Speaker contact details: Katy MacLeod
[email protected] Arthur
[email protected] Crew: 0131 220 3404