14 search results for 'the rise of the social media cocaine dealers online greater london  metropolitan county'

A white powder stimulant that is normally snorted or rubbed into the gums.


Cocaine

A painkiller used to treat mild to moderate pain that’s available as tablets, syrup or as a liquid for injecting


Codeine

Cannabis is a plant-based drug. It can be smoked, eaten or vaped.


Cannabis

Synthetic cannabinoids are artificial chemicals that act on the cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Semi-synthetic cannabinoids are chemicals derived from the cannabis plant but altered so that they end up being chemicals that do not occur naturally. There are dozens of these chemicals, some have similar effects to cannabis, some are very different, and some of them can be very harmful. 
Vapes purchased from illegal sources have been found to contain synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids. These have contributed to many overdoses in the UK, some resulting in people being taken to hospital. 
Some drugs are increasingly cut with dangerous synthetic opioids like nitazenes, which have killed 100s of people in the UK in the past year. This is happening in a wide range of drugs, not just heroin, and you can never really know what is in any street or counterfeit drug. Find out more about the risks and what to do here.
There is a wide list of products and brand names that is constantly changing. These are not necessarily associated with a particular drug or used consistently. 


Synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids 

Sold as a grainy white or light brown powder. Looks similar to cocaine but is a very different drug.


Ketamine

New psychoactive substances, also known as ‘NPS’ or ‘legal highs’, was a name given to a large range of different types of drugs which were not originally controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The substances evaded drug laws by having slight changes in their chemical structure so were marketed as ‘legal’, but their effects were often as dangerous as illegal drugs and unpredictable. They became more available in the late 2000s, especially synthetic cannabinoids, often sold as ‘Spice’, and synthetic cathinones. 


New psychoactive substances

Opioid painkillers are medicines  that may be prescribed  short-term to help with moderate or severe pain relief. Some opiates, such as codeine, when combined at low doses with other   painkillers like paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin can be bought over the counter in pharmacies. 
Counterfeit medicines, which are purposely made to look like real ones, can be very hard to tell from real medicines. You can only be sure that an opioid painkiller is real if obtained from a pharmacy registered in the UK. 
Some drugs are increasingly cut with dangerous synthetic opioids like nitazenes , which are killing people across the UK. This is happening in a wide range of drugs, including dodgy opioid painkillers. You can never really know what is in any street or counterfeit drug. It’s especially important to avoid falsified oxycodone tablets marked with “OP” and “40”, “OP” and “80” or “Percocet” as some have been found to contain nitazenes.
 Find out more about the risks and what to do here.


Opioid painkillers

Some people vape cannabis because they don’t want to smoke. But vaping an oil or other liquid that you think is cannabis is risky, and there have been several reports recently of people being hospitalised after doing so.  However you take it, THC (the part of the cannabis plant that makes people feel ‘high’) can cause you problems, including with your mental health. And like swallowing cannabis edibles, vaping ‘cannabis’ can make the effects more unpredictable. That’s because it may be stronger than expected, or it may contain something much more harmful than THC like synthetic cannabinoids. The effects can be unpleasant or even dangerous, especially when people have a few puffs quickly before they know how strong it is, or what effect it’s having on them. If you&#39;ve vaped cannabis and start to feel unwell, take time out to look after yourself and ask for help if you need it. If the problem doesn&#39;t improve or is getting worse, you should seek medical help. 

‘Cannabis’ vapes - do you know what you’re vaping?

If this is your first time moving away from home then there’s a whole host of new and exciting experiences ahead. Whether you’re moving from a tiny village or another city, being safe in a new environment is really important. This might be the first time you’ve had the chance to go clubbing or out to gigs and parties, so it’s important to follow some basic tips to be safe but still have a great time.Get to know your areaAn unfamiliar town or city will mean a whole new way of navigating your way around. From walking to taxis to buses and even trams, working out how to get from A to B is a must, particularly if you go out at night. If you’re out with friends, make sure you stick together as a group and plan your way home in advance. It sounds like a no-brainer but when you add alcohol and/or drugs into a night out then getting home can be quite a challenge if you don’t know how to get back. Never walk home alone and make sure you have a taxi app downloaded but ideally have enough cash on you so you can flag down a cab too. If you must walk, make sure you avoid unlit, quiet areas like alleyways or parks.Most importantly, try not to get separated from your friends and plan ahead for what to do if you do find yourself alone. Arrange an emergency meeting point or use apps like WhatsApp or Life360 to share your location with friends.Which brings us to..alcoholIf you&#39;re heading out for the night and you plan to drink, there are a couple of simple things you can do to stay in control and ensure you have a great time.Have a meal before you go out and grab some snacks between drinks. This helps to slow down the absorption of alcohol, helping you stay in control Sip a glass of water between drinks to stay hydrated and slow down your alcohol consumption over the course of the night – or even better, switch between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinksConsider non alcoholic options - there are a lot of refreshing and tasty zero alcohol or very low alcohol content drinks on the market now. If you are heading round to a friend’s for pre-drinks or pre’s, try and avoid drinking too much too quickly as this can really have an impact later on in the evening. You may even find that your night ends early if you’re not permitted entrance to a club for being too drunk.Never leave your drink unattended or accept a drink from someone you don’t know - there could be a chance that it’s been spiked. Spiking someone’s drink is a serious crime and should be reported immediately. Although you may think spiking is something primarily targeted at women, everyone should keep a watch out as it can happen to anyone. You’ll know if a friend has been spiked as they may say they feel sick, be confused, start acting in an unusual way, seem drunker than expected, have visual issues, a loss of balance or start to vomit.Read our Spiking - How to Stay Safe on a Night Out to find out more.‘Recreational’ drug use There are lots of reasons why people take drugs and if you’re at Uni or college, you may hear about or be around people who are taking drugs like MDMA/Ecstasy, Ketamine, Cocaine or Nos. These kinds of drugs are often called ‘recreational’ but this doesn’t mean they are for recreation or recommended.For example, ketamine is actually a powerful anaesthetic. It is sold as a grainy white or light brown powder that may look similar to cocaine but is a very different drug and acts on your body and mind in a very different way.If you’ve not taken drugs before then there’s no reason to start, but if you are thinking of trying something then make sure you understand the risks. Mixing alcohol with any drug will always increase the risk. And if you then go on to mix other drugs then there are a number of different effects you may experience on your body and mind.If you are concerned about the effects of mixing drugs (including alcohol) our mixing tool can help you find out the effects of mixing drugs together. You can find this on any drug page under the risks section. The lawIt is illegal to consume, produce, supply or possess most recreational drugs and psychoactive substances in the UK. If you’re an international student or moved to the UK from another country for work, the laws around drugs in the UK may be different to what you’re used to at home. The penalties if you are caught can be significant and may have an impact on your life in the future. Getting help with drug or alcohol useYour doctor is a good place to start if you’re looking for support. They can help to refer you to more specialist drug and alcohol services or go to FRANK to get help to find support near you that provides counselling and treatment in England. If you’re not ready to speak to a medical professional or specialist service, you can talk to an advisor at your Student Union or Welfare Officer who can offer you confidential and impartial advice.If you’re worried about anything to do with drugs or alcohol and want to talk to FRANK in confidence about yourself or about a friend, then you can call the helpline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0300 123 6600 or you can chat online between 2pm and 6pm every day.

Freshers week: how to be safe and still have a good time away from home

Taking drugs including cannabis always has risks. Whether you smoke it or take edibles, THC (the main psychoactive component of cannabis) can cause you problems including with your mental health. Swallowing drugs means the effects are even less predictable – it can be very easy to accidentally take a larger dose than you wanted to, and for the effect to go on much longer than you wanted. This is true for cannabis anyway but eating it can make it even riskier.Taking edibles may also increase the risk of taking something more dangerous than cannabis. There are increasing reports of young people taking what they think are cannabis edibles and getting seriously ill from them. In many cases, it’s turned out that they had taken something containing synthetic cannabinoids rather than THC without knowing it. Some of the effects of synthetic cannabinoids can be similar to cannabis but they are often much more unpleasant or dangerous. They can cause hallucinations, extreme paranoia and (in high doses) even death.Don’t be fooled by legit looking packaging. In Canada and some US states, it’s legal to sell cannabis to adults, including in the form of gummies, lollipops, and other sweets. These products are often packaged to look like regular sweets, which might make them more attractive to young people, and make them seem like they must be safe.Over here in the UK, it’s illegal to sell anything that contains THC but there are illegal edibles around which are often made to look like what you can get legally in the US. They may even say that they are only for over-18s and things like how much THC they’re supposed to have in them so they look legit. Even if they were they could cause problems for young people. But, a lot of the time, “cannabis” edibles over here don’t have any THC in them and contain synthetic cannabinoids instead.

14 search results for 'the rise of the social media cocaine dealers online greater london metropolitan county'

Cocaine

Codeine

THC

THC vape (since these products may contain synthetic and semi-synthetic cannabinoids instead)

Special K

Gogaine

Codeine

‘Cannabis’ vapes - do you know what you’re vaping?

Freshers week: how to be safe and still have a good time away from home

Cannabis edibles – always risky, sometimes dangerous