article_snippet: Health officials have warned that legal highs are becoming stronger, leading to a rise in the number of people being hospitalised after taking Health officials.
article_snippet: Deadly: Legal highs such as mephedrone, pictured, have grown in popularity in recent years . '
article_snippet: In recent years, there has been a huge surge in the number of deaths linked to legal highs.
article_snippet: 97 people were found dead with the substances in 97 people system in 2012, up from 12 in 2009.
article_snippet: In around two-thirds of cases, the post-mortem examination established that the legal high was the direct cause of death.
article_snippet: Anti-drug groups say that legal highs - officially known as New Psychoactive Substances - are getting stronger and more readily available.
article_snippet: Josie Smith, from the Welsh drug testing agency Wedinos, said: 'What we have found in the past year is an increase in the strength of NPS drugs. '
article_snippet: Josie Smith, from the Welsh drug testing agency
article_snippet: Wedinos have addiction potential far higher than some of the controlled substances.'