Disturbing video shows effects of lethal high Spice on users

A video showing the disturbing effects of lethal highs on users has been released by police - as officers make more arrests in a crackdown on the drugs.
Police issued a timelapse video showing the effects of lethal highs on users.Police issued a timelapse video showing the effects of lethal highs on users.
Police issued a timelapse video showing the effects of lethal highs on users.

The footage was taken during the last two weeks in Newcastle, and is made up of two clips of people taking what is believed to be a new blend of Spice known as 'Power'. There was a significant spike in use of the drug, but Northumbria Police now say that the amount of reports of people being found unconscious in the street is beginning to fall. That follows a period of proactive policing which has seen another four people charged for offences linked to lethal highs since the weekend. It means that since the first reports of people falling ill on June 4 there have been 16 arrests, 10 people charged, two people summonsed to court and six released pending further inquiries. Superintendent Paul Knox says that the public should be reassured by the force's firm stance and hopes that by releasing the footage people can understand the dangers of the drugs. He said: "This recent spike in incidents relating to lethal highs will have caused concern for members of the public, but we have taken really positive action to take it off our streets. "It is important to recognise that this is a nationwide problem, and that the major cities across the countries are experiencing the same problems. "We have been very proactive in sharing educational information about these substances and by taking enforcement action against those involved in the circulation of the drugs in our city. "The recent spike in incidents is not as a result of an significant increase in the use of these drugs. We believe it is linked to a new blend of Spice that is being referred to as Power. "Like Spice, this type of new psychoactive substance (NPS) is unpredictable and nobody knows what kind of effect it will have on their body. That is why it was re-classified as a Class B drug in December. "The number of these incidents is beginning to fall, and a big part of that is due to the proactive police work by our dedicated lethal high task force, supported by our city centre neighbourhood policing team. "We have also tried to point users in the direction of appropriate support services, as many of them are vulnerable individuals who have been targeted by suppliers. "There is still more work to do to take these drugs off the street, and we would encourage people with information about the supply of NPS to contact police so we can put suppliers before the court." The investigation into the use of NPS in Newcastle is being led by a dedicated task force set up by Northumbria Police in 2016, who have been working closely with the city council, North East Ambulance Service and Public Health. In the past 18 months their work has seen hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of NPS seized in a number of raids and, when the drugs were still legal, a number of shops that stocked the dangerous substances shut down. The legislation introduced last year brought in jail sentences of up to seven years for those concerned in supply of the drugs and gave the police the power to seize and destroy NPS, as well as carry out searches of people, premises and vehicles.The re-classification of NPS as a Class B drug in December also made it a criminal offence for an individual to possess lethal highs - something many users still aren't fully aware of. Anyone who needs advice on drugs should contact FRANK on 08700 77 6600 or visit www.talktofrank.com.