article_snippet: Over the past five years there has been an unprecedented increase in the number, type and availability of new psychoactive substances in Europe, with 101 new substances reported in 2014 alone.
article_snippet: Experts have warned that deaths linked to
article_snippet: ’ could overtake those linked to heroin by 2016 .
article_snippet: Drugs experts have warned that deaths linked to
article_snippet: ’ could overtake those linked to heroin by 2016.
article_snippet: Deaths increased eightfold rising from 12 in 2009 to 97 in 2012, according to figures from Centre for Social Justice who claim the UK has the highest rate of legal highs use among young people in Europe.
article_snippet: A survey of more than 13 000 young adults aged 15–24 in the EU Member States, found that 8 per cent had tried a new psychoactive substance at least once, with 3 per cent using A survey of more than 13 000 young adults aged 15–24 in the EU Member States in the last year.
article_snippet: The soaring death toll led to ministers calling the rise in the use of legal highs a 'national emergency'.
article_snippet: However, unlike drugs which have been around for years and for which risks are generally well known, the long term - and indeed short term - risks many of these new substances are still a mystery.