UK gov - Crazy Chemist exposes risks of legal highs

[edgarshade]

Published: Tuesday, 22 September 2009

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_180662

"A campaign launches today to highlight the potentially devastating effects of certain legal substances, especially when mixed with alcohol. It is aimed at 18-24 year old clubbers including students, as research shows this is the group most at risk."

"Crazy Chemist gets message across to clubbers

Legal highs: ask the Crazy Chemist about the risks

The message of the 'Crazy Chemist' campaign is, you never know what you are taking or what effect it might have on your body. It features a mad scientist character in a white lab coat, who tells it like it is. For instance, clubbers are warned: 'Don’t mix it with alcohol if you want to live!'

The campaign includes:

• offline advertising in clubs, bars and record shops
• online activity - adverts and articles on clubbing and student websites, and targeted information that appears when people try to buy certain 'legal highs' online
• partnership with the National Union of Student (NUS) - includes distribution of posters, flyers and wristbands at electronic and house music nights at key universities
• partnership with Mixmag magazine - includes advertising and distribution of posters and flyers in the magazine

"

 

[Vader]

The message of the 'Crazy Chemist' campaign is, you never know what you are taking

Come on now guys, if you make drugs legal then...
Then...
You WOULD know what you were taking!
Genius.

 

[edgarshade]

Students warned about dangers of 'legal highs'

Independent
Wednesday, 15 September 2010

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/students-warned-about-dangers-of-legal-highs-2079948.html

'Students tempted to try out legal highs at the start of the new term were warned today that they could be even more dangerous than illegal drugs.

Substances such as Meow Meow and Ivory Wave are often packed with harmful substances and there is no way of knowing whether they are safe, a Government scientist said.

It comes after the Home Office announced plans for year-long bans that could be put in place quickly to take new drugs off the market while a comprehensive review of their potential harm was carried out.'

'Ben Whittaker, of the National Union of Students, added that the term "legal highs" was misleading and could leave students in a "vulnerable position".'

 

[Vader]

I saw one of these "crazy chemist" flyers last year, and it was just woefully outdated. It warned against piperazines and GBL, but made no mention of mephedrone, and this was at the height of meph-mania.

 

[nopipesdfw]

Well.... let us all thank the media and politicians being afraid of losing leverage the next time you visit the "Crazy chemist" instead of a normal chemist!

I saw one of these "crazy chemist" flyers last year, and it was just woefully outdated. It warned against piperazines and GBL, but made no mention of mephedrone, and this was at the height of meph-mania.

Gotta keep people safe from themselves and make sure what they are doing is ideal, man.

 

[edgarshade]

Introducing..............The Crazy Prohibitionist!!!!

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Nation)

 

[Phener]

THINK TANKS! and advice agencies are a pile of piss!

If you want to level with people taking these substances don't make up a name "crazy chemist".

Now theres something to be taken the piss off by the x-number of people taking these drugs. It's far easier to JUST SAY NO.

(*don't get me wrong I think we have serious situation re:legal highs but "crazy chemist" conjours up images of what middle class tea drinkers would sit in their living room discussing about legal high manufacturers rather than you average student wanting to get high)

 

[zamzams]

If they want to educate people who are tempted to take legal highs then at least make the media report the truth on why they're being taken in the first place.

Because the governments are a bunch of antiquated morons who have nothing better to do than ban substances that peope use to relax and socialise with that they can't be arsed regulating - because they always get paranoid about their perfect society being circumvented by people who're open minded enough to realise it's all one big slave system & that money isn't real.

Hey we should be looking on the bright side though. At least when all the oil has gone we're all going to descend into utter chaos mad max style and they'll be the first ones against the wall...