Drug & Alcohol Services

In2change provide a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL Service to young people aged 11 – 18 years.

How can we help?

Do you need information or advice?
Are drugs or alcohol affecting your life?
Are you using drugs or alcohol to help you with problems?
Do you need specialist support e.g. one-to-one?
Are you worried about someone else’s drug and alcohol use?
Do you want to get involved in activities that might help you take time out from your drug and alcohol use?

Then call 01978 316750 or complete the Referral Form - Word Format 572Kb

Drugs and the law

	Class A Drugs	Class B Drugs	Class C Drugs
	Cocaine Ecstasy - MDMA Heroin LSD Magic Mushrooms Methadone	Amphetamines Cannabis Mephedrone	Benzodiazepines GHB Ketamine Khat Steroids
Penalty for possession	Up to seven years in prison and / or an unlimited fine.	Up to five years in prison and / or an unlimited fine.	Up to two years in prison and / or an unlimited fine.
Penalty for dealing	Up to life in prison and / or an unlimited fine.	Up to 14 years in prison and / or an unlimited fine.	Up to 14 years in prison and / or an unlimited fine.

Facts about drugs

What Is A Drug?

A drug is any substance (with the exception of food and water) which, when taken into the body, alters the body's function either physically and/or psychologically. Drugs may be legal (e.g. alcohol, caffeine and tobacco) or illegal (e.g. cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and heroin).

Click on the images below to find out the information or visit drugs and the law to find out the penalties

Amphetamine
Anabolic Steroids
Cannabis
Cocaine
Crack
Ecstasy
GHB
Heroin
Ketamine
LSD
Magic Mushrooms
Poppers
Solvents
Tranquillisers

AMPHETAMINE (speed, whiz, uppers, amph, billy, sulphate)

Speed usually comes as a grey, white or dirty-white powder, or sometimes in tablets
It can be snorted, swallowed, injected or smoked
Speed is the most impure illegal drug in the UK
Amphetamines are Class B drugs (but carry Class A penalties if prepared for injection)

Effects & Symptoms

Speed is a stimulant. It quickens the heartbeat and breathing rate
Users may feel confident. Their minds race and they may feel energetic
It suppresses the appetite, but doesn’t satisfy the body’s need for nourishment
Some people also become tense and experience feelings of anxiety and can display aggressive behaviour

Risks

The comedown (tiredness and depression) generally lasts for one or two days, but can be longer
Sleep, memory and concentration are all affected in the short-tem
High doses repeated over a few days may cause panic and hallucinations
Long-term users may develop tolerance, which means the user needs more to get the same effect
Use of speed can lead to mental illness, such as psychosis

ANABOLIC STERIODS (Sustanon 250, Deca-Durabolin, Dianabol, Anavar, Stanozolol. May be referred to as ‘roids’)

Anabolic steroids can be only be sold lawfully by a pharmacist to someone with a doctor’s prescription.
While possession isn’t illegal without a prescription, supply is against the law and Class C penalties apply.
Anabolic steroids are similar to, and include, the male hormone, testosterone.
They are used in medicine to treat anaemia and muscle weakness after surgery.
Don’t confuse them with the type of steroids used to treat eczema/asthma. (However, some countries treat asthma using Clenbuterol, which is also used for its anabolic effects).
Some body-builders use anabolic steroids, as well as people who think it will improve their body image.
Some can be swallowed, but most need to be injected.
Use in sports is prohibited. A positive test for the drug can ruin a sporting career.

Effects & Symptoms

Users claim steroids make them feel more aggressive and able to train harder.
With exercise, anabolic steroids can help build up muscle. However, there is some debate about whether they improve muscle power and athletic performance.
Anabolic steroids help users to recover from strenuous exercise.

Risks

Taking anabolic steroids carries many health Risks and can stop young people from growing properly,
The Risks for men include: erection problems, breast growth, shrinking testicles, reduced sperm and even sterility, acne, increased chance of heart attack and liver failure.
The Risks for women include: growth of facial hair, deepening voice, shrinking breasts, irregular menstrual cycle, spots, possible miscarriage and stillbirth.
Some effects, such as change in breast size, may be irreversible without surgery.

Cannabis (Marijuana, draw, blow, weed, puff, pot, hash, ganja)

Facts

Cannabis is a natural substance from a plant commonly called ‘hemp’.
It comes in a solid, dark lump known as ‘resin’ or as leaves, stalks and seeds called ‘grass’ or as a sticky oil.
It can be rolled with tobacco in a spliff or joint, smoked on its own or in a special pipe or eaten.
There are different strengths of cannabis –e.g. Some Skunk is very strong.
Cannabis is a Class B drug (but Class A penalties can apply to cannabis oil).

Effects & Symptoms

Getting ‘stoned’ on cannabis makes most users relaxed and talkative.
It heightens the senses, especially when it comes to colours, taste and music.
Cooking and eating hash makes the effects more intense and harder to control.
It can leave people feeling tired and lacking energy.
Hash may bring on cravings for certain foods.
Red eyes, dilated pupils. Irrelevant giggling, paranoia.

Risks

Affects short-term memory and ability to concentrate.
Getting stoned affects co-ordination, increasing the risk of accidents.
It impairs driving skills, so never get in a car with someone who is stoned.
It can make users paranoid and anxious, depending on their mood and situation.
Smoking joints with tobacco can lead to users getting hooked on cigarettes.
Smoking cannabis over a long period of time may increase the risk of respiratory disorders, including lung cancer.
Many users find cannabis hard to quit.

Cocaine (coke, Charlie, snow, C)

Cocaine is a white powder that can be snorted up the nose. Some users inject it.
It is a Class A drug.

Effects & Symptoms

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant.
The buzz creates a sense of well-being, making users feel alert and confident.
The effects last roughly 30 minutes.
Users are often left craving more.
People may also take more to delay the comedown (tiredness & depression).
Dilated pupils and eyes light sensitive.

Risks

Cocaine can cause heart problems and chest pain.
Heavy use of cocaine can cause convulsions.
Large or frequent doses over a short period can leave users restless, confused and paranoid.
Snorting cocaine may permanently damage the inside of the nose.
Users may find their habit expensive and hard to control.
Users have died from overdose.

CRACK (rock, wash, stone)

Crack is smokeable form of cocaine.
It is a Class A drug.

Effects & Symptoms

The effects of smoking crack are similar to snorting cocaine but much more intense.
The high lasts as little as 10 minutes.
Users often ‘chase’ the high by repeating the dose.
Heavy users may take heroin to dull the craving caused by the use of crack.
Aggressive behaviour. Eyes light sensitive.

Risks

Heavy use can lead to potentially fatal heart problems.
Heavy users risk convulsions.
Crack is highly addictive.
Because the high can be so intense, crack use is often difficult to control.
Smoking crack can seriously harm the lungs and cause chest pains.
After the high, feeling of restlessness, nausea and sleeplessness are common.
Large or frequent doses over a short period can leave users restless, confused and paranoid.
Regular users may find their habit very expensive.
Users have died from overdose.

ECSTASY (E, XTC, doves, disco biscuits, echoes, hug drug, eccies, burgers, fantasy, Chemical name - MDMA)

Ecstasy usually comes in tables of different shapes, size and colour but often white.
The effects of MDMA are unpredictable.
A tablet might not contain MDMA. Other drugs which might be sold as MDMA can have very different effects.
Ecstasy is a Class A drug.

Effects & Symptoms

Users can feel alert and in tune with their surroundings and with other people too.
Sound, colour and emotions can seem much more intense.
The energy buzz from ecstasy means users may dance for hours.
The effects last anything from 3-6 hours.

Risks

As ecstasy starts working (known as ‘coming up’) users may feel a tightening of the jaw, nausea, sweating and an increase in heart rate.
The comedown can leave users feeling tired and depressed, often for days.
Use has been linked to liver and kidney problems.
Studies into the effects of ecstasy are still at an early stage. However, research shows that MDMA dramatically affects the brain chemistry of animals.
There have been about 60 ecstasy –related deaths in the UK.

GHB (short for gammahydroxybutyrate - sometimes known as GBH)

GHB comes as a colourless liquid and is sold in small bottles or capsules.
The liquid is measured out in capfuls and then swallowed.
GHB has no smell but a salty taste.
It was originally developed as a medicine for use during surgery.
GHB is used as alternative to anabolic steroids.
GHB is illegal to have, sell or giveaway and is a Class C.

Effects & Symptoms

GHB has sedative properties and can produce feelings of euphoria.
The effects have been known to last for a day.

Risks

Excessive hits could lead to sickness, stiff muscles fits and even collapse.
If incorrectly produced, GHB can badly burn the mouth.
It is VERY DANGEROUS and can be fatal when mixed with alcohol or other drugs.
The long-term effects of GHB are not yet fully known.

HEROIN (smack, brown, horse, gear, H, junk, skag, jack)

Heroin is a painkilling drug made from morphine which is derived from the opium poppy.
It comes as a white powder when pure. Street heroin is usually brownish-white.
It is snorted, smoked or injected.
Heroin is a Class A drug

Effects & Symptoms

In small doses, heroin gives the user a sense or warmth and well-being.
Higher doses can make them drowsy and relaxed.
Excessive amounts can result in overdose, coma, and in some cases death.
First-time use often leads to side effects like dizziness and vomiting.
Small pupils ‘pinned’.
Withdrawal – sweating, anxiety, muscle cramps, fever.

Risks

Heroin is very addictive. Getting the next fix can dominate a user’s life.
Tolerance develops which means the user needs more heroin to get the same effect.
Those who start by smoking or snorting heroin sometimes switch to injection to maximise the high.
Injecting can damage veins and lead to gangrene.
Sharing needles or syringes puts users at risk of dangerous infections like hepatitis and HIV.
Withdrawing form heroin can be very hard.
Many people manage to kick the drug, but mentally it may take years to be free.

KETAMINE (Special K, vitamin K, K)

Ketamine is an anaesthetic with painkilling and psychedelic properties.
A very similar drug is used by vets when they operate on animals.
Ketamine is Class C penalties apply.

Effects & Symptoms

Ketamine makes users feel that the mind has been separated from the body. This creates ‘out of body’ and hallucinations experiences for up to 3 hours.
The effects are influenced by the user’s mood and environment.
During this time, a user may by physically unable to move.

Risks

As Ketamine numbs the body, users risk serious injury without feeling pain.
The effects can be very alarming if the user isn’t expecting them.
Excessive doses carry some risk of breathing problems and heart failure.
Ketamine is VERY DANGEROUS when mixed with alcohol and other drugs.
The long-term effects of recreational use of ketamine are still not really known.

LSD (acid, trips, tabs, blotters, microdots, dots - chemical name : Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)

LSD usually comes in tiny squares of paper, often with a picture on one side.
The picture says nothing about the likely effect or strength of the drug.
LSD is a Class A drug.

Effects & Symptoms

LSD is an hallucinogenic drug. It has a powerful effect on the mind.
The effects of LSD are known as a ‘trip’ and can last as long as 8 to 12 hours. While a user is tripping they experience their surroundings in a very different way.
The effects depend on the user’s mood, where they are and who they are with.
Sense of movement and time may speed up or slow down. Objects, colour and sound may become distorted.
Users experience trips differently every time.
Pupil dilation.

Risks

Once the trip starts, there’s no way of stopping it.
A bad trip can be terrifying. Users may feel very threatened and can even forge that the drug is responsible.
It’s impossible to predict a ‘bad’ trip, but it’s more likely to happen if the user is feeling anxious, nervous or uncomfortable.
Feeling paranoid or out of control can leave users shaken for a long time afterwards.
Accidents may happen while users are hallucinating.
Users may experience flashbacks, where parts of a ‘trip’ are briefly re-lived some time after the event.
LSD can complicate mental problems such as depression, anxiety depression and schizophrenia.

MAGIC MUSHROOMS (mushies, ‘shrooms)

Several types of magic mushrooms grow wild in the UK. The main type is the Liberty Cap (Psilocbye Semilanceata)
There are also species that look similar to magic mushrooms that are poisonous.
Magic mushrooms are eaten raw, dried, cooked in food or stewed into a tea.
Magic mushrooms are illegal when they are prepared – by picking mushrooms they are then considered prepared as they can be eaten raw.
Magic mushrooms are a Class A drug.

Effects & Symptoms

Magic mushrooms have a similar effect to LSD, but the trip is often milder and shorter.
Magic mushrooms can make users feel very relaxed and ‘spaced out’. The effects depend on the user’s mood, where and who they are with.
They may cause hallucinations – objects, colours and sound become distorted.
A trip tends to last about 4 hours.

Risks

They often cause stomach pains, sickness and diarrhoea.
Eating the wrong kind of mushroom can also cause serious illness and even fatal poisoning.
If users feel sick they should go straight to hospital with a sample of the mushroom and explain what’s happened.
Bad trips can happen and can be very frightening. Once the trip has started there’s no going back.
Like any hallucinogen, magic mushrooms can complicate mental health problems.

POPPERS

‘Poppers’ is a term used for the group of chemicals known as alkyl nitrates.
Alkyl nitrates include: amyl nitrates, butyl nitrate and isobutyl nitrate.
Trade names include: Ram, Thrust, Rock Hard, Kix, TNT, Liquid Gold.
Poppers come as a clear or straw-coloured liquid in a small bottle or tube.
The vapour is breathed in through the mouth or nose.
Over recent years, use of poppers has become more common in dance culture.
Amyl nitrate is a prescription only medicine. Possession is not illegal but supply can be an offence.

Effects & Symptoms

Users get a very brief but intense ‘head rush’. This is caused by a sudden surge of blood through the heart and brain.
Blood vessels dilate resulting in a flushed face and neck.
Some users say they experience the impression of time slowing down.
The effects fade 2 to 5 minutes after use.

Risks

Can make some people feel faint and sick, especially when taken while dancing.
Users often experience a headache afterwards.
Regular use causes skin problems around the mouth and nose.
Because the drug reduces blood pressure, taking alkyl nitrates is very dangerous for people with anaemia, glaucoma and breathing or heart problems.
If spilled, poppers can burn skin.
Poppers MAY BE FATAL IF SWALLOWED.

SOLVENTS (gases, glues, aerosols)

These are found in: lighter gas refills and fuel canisters.
Aerosols containing products such as hairspray, deodorants and air fresheners.
Tins or tubes of glue.
Some paints, thinners and correcting fluids.
They are sniffed or breathed into the lungs.
It is illegal for shopkeepers to sell to under 18’s, or to people acting for them, if they suspect the product is intended for abuse.

Effects & Symptoms

Users fee thick headed, dizzy giggly and dreamy.
They may also hallucinate.
The effects disappear after 15 to 45 minutes.
Afterwards, users feel drowsy and may suffer a headache.
Rash around nose and mouth. Stomach cramps. Uncoordinated movements and slurred speech. Drunken behaviour. Inflamed eyes.

Risks

Users of gases, glues or aerosols can cause INSTANT DEATH – even on the first go.
Squirting solvents down the throat may cause the body to produce fluid that floods the lungs, this can be fatal.
Abusing solvents can lead to nausea, vomiting, black –outs and fatal heart problems.
Accidents can happen when the user is high because their senses are affected.
There is a risk of suffocation if the substance is inhaled from a plastic bag over the head.
Long-term abuse can damage the brain, liver and kidneys.

TRANQUILLISERS

Chemical names include: diazepam, temazepam (mazzies), nitrazepam, etc.
Trade names include: Valium, Ativan, Mogadon (Moggies) etc.
Tranquillisers are prescribed by GP’s as short-term treatment for anxiety, depression and sleep problems.
They are misused by some people to counter the effects of stimulant drugs, or taken in combination with alcohol or heroin.
They can be supplied lawfully only by pharmacist to someone with a Drs prescription.
Whiles possession isn’t illegal without a prescription (except in the case of Temazepam), supply is against the law and Class C penalties apply.

Effects & Symptoms

Tranquillisers calm users and slow them down mentally.
They relieve tension and anxiety.
Higher doses can make users drowsy and forgetful.

Risks

They slow down reactions, making accidents more likely.
They are EXTEREMLY DANGEROUS if mixed with alcohol.
Tolerance can develop, Users can become dependent, especially if they rely on the drug to calm them or help them to sleep.
Users trying to quit may suffer panic attacks.
Injecting crushed tablets or the contents of capsules is VERY DANERGOUS and can be lethal.

What is a 'legal high' drug?

Legal drugs and “legal highs” are substances used like illegal recreational drugs, such as cocaine or cannabis, but not covered by current drug misuse laws.

What else do I need to know?

The Home Office sets out important advice on both legal and illegal highs. Their advice on legal highs says that:

You can never know what you’re taking in any drug, so the effects can be very unpredictable.
Just because the drugs are legal to possess doesn’t mean they are safe.
Legal highs can contain a range of potentially dangerous chemicals, and their chemical makeup changes all the time. This means you can never be 100% certain of what you have bought, and what the effects might be.
Although legal, most of these substances are actually illegal to sell, supply, or advertise for human consumption, under medical legislation, due to their effects on the body.
Suppliers may use descriptions such as bath salts, plant food, research chemicals, fertiliser and cleaning fluid, or statements such as “not for human consumption” in order to try to get around the law.
Risk is increased if the drug is combined with alcohol.

Wrexham Young Persons Project

The Wrexham Young Person Project is a partnership between CAIS and Shelter Cymru and offers support and advice to young people including specialist housing advice.

Young People can drop in any time between 9.00 and 5.00 Monday to Friday.

Wrexham Young Persons Project
65 King Street
Wrexham
LL11 1HR
01978 314314

CAIS

CAIS provides specialist drug and alcohol services in North Wales.

CAIS Ltd
North East Wales Regional Office
Grove Park House
11 Grove Road
Wrexham
LL12 7AA
01978 367030
01978 367039

Drug Emergency

Sometimes drugs can make people feel very drowsy – or even unconscious. Sometimes people who have taken drugs can get very tense and panicky. They may start to hyperventilate (breathe very quickly) and feel sick and dizzy. You can't say exactly which drugs cause these problems. Different drugs affect different people in different ways.

If someone is getting panicky :

Try to calm them down
Keep them away from loud noises and bright lights
Talk quietly and tell them that the panicky feeling will gradually go away
Some people who have had problems with drugs are only alive today because their mates knew what to do in an emergency.

If someone is drowsy or unconscious :

Make sure they have plenty of cool, fresh air – especially if you think they have taken ecstasy
Don't frighten or startle them in any way – especially if you think they have been sniffing gases, glues or aerosols
Don't throw water over them
Turn them on their side and put them in the recovery position
Get to a telephone, dial 999 to get an ambulance – you won’t get into trouble
Give any drugs you find to the ambulance crew

Why don't you learn some basic first aid?

Your local St John’s Ambulance and British Red Cross run courses in First Aid. You could look them up in the phone book or ring:

British Red Cross First Aid Training 0844 8718000

St Johns Ambulance 08700 104950

What To Do If You Find A Needle Or Syringe

Don’t Touch - Tell!

CALL 01978 292040

That has to be the main message if you find a needle or syringe. Other pointers are:

Assess the risk to yourself and others(especially children)
NEVER try to pick it up
Mark the spot (without undue risk)
ONLY if there is immediate apparent danger to others: Temporary, careful removal from harm using a pan and brush (or similar)

Wrexham County Borough Council, Environmental Department on 01978 292040. They will arrange disposal.