Spike in emergency service demand for Newcastle patients suffering effects of psychoactive substances
Press release
11th October 2016
Spike in emergency service demand for Newcastle patients suffering effects of psychoactive substances
North East Ambulance Service has reissued a warning today after a spike in the number of patients calling for emergency help after taking what was formerly known as ‘legal highs’ over the past 24 hours.
Earlier in the year, the NHS Foundation Trust reported a marked growth of people calling 999 who were reporting patients with life threatening symptoms as a result of taking what were then ‘legal highs’, or in other words, psychoactive substances.
Ambulances were requested for hundreds of incidents where individuals who had used ‘legal highs’ had suffered symptoms ranging from seizures, unconsciousness, shortness of breath, vomiting, aggression, palpitations, agitation and foaming at the mouth.
Numbers of incidents seemed to have dropped since the law was changed but in the past 24 hours, 12 Newcastle based patients have contacted 999 for an ambulance for their serious conditions and six have been transported to hospital.
Police have reported the drugs responsible are likely to be named Spice, Killer Smeg and SpongeBob.
Chief Operating Officer, Paul Liversidge, said: “These substances are not safe to use and carry a serious health risk. The chemicals they contain have in most cases never been used before in drugs for human consumption and these incidents in Newcastle are putting people’s lives at risk.”
“As a service, we don’t discriminate; we will attend anyone who is poorly enough to need our help. However, we are urging people NOT to take these drugs as they are putting their own lives in danger and also endangering the lives of others because these calls are potentially delaying our response to someone else who is suffering a heart attack or other life-threatening condition.”
ENDS
For more information please contact the NEAS Press Office on 0191 430 2099