LONDON, October 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
The founder of the only British charity dedicated to raising awareness of legal highs, the Angelus Foundation, has called on the Prime Minister to release its report on ways of reducing the harm from legal highs.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140722/697697-a )
The Home Office report was commissioned in December and completed in July but its publication has been blocked repeatedly by No.10. It is likely to contain recommendations restricting the supply of legal highs as well as new ways of educating young people about their dangers. In her letter to the Prime Minister, Maryon Stewart said, "I implore you to overcome whatever the political issues are surrounding the publication of this vital report so we can get on with exposing the myths around legal highs and keep our young people safe."
As a minimum Angelus wants the report to include new initiatives on education and prevention as well as strong action against high street sales of legal highs.
Maryon Stewart lost her daughter, Hester, a 21 year old medical student at Sussex University, who was a mentor and cheerleader. She died after taking a (then) legal high called GBL after an awards dinner on 25 April 2009. Last month, Angelus carried out a survey of University Freshers and found 19% had tried a legal high - that is potentially 350,000 students.
Last year, there were 81 new legal psychoactive substances identified across EU. The UN Office and Drugs and Crime estimates the numbers of young people in UK (aged 15-24) who have taken a legal high as 670,000 - making us the highest consumers in Europe.
Maryon Stewart, raised the issue of legal highs personally with the PM last year at a charity reception at No.11. She said, "Having spoken to the Prime Minister myself about the issue, I know he understands the urgency of the situation and the reality of the threat to young people from legal highs. But somehow this report has been allowed to get tangled up in the politics of Government. Young people are being harmed every week and some are dying. There can be no justification for delaying even for one more day."
Notes to editors:
1. Maryon Stewart lost her daughter to GBL and established the Angelus Foundation. It is the only drugs charity dedicated to combating legal highs and club drugs and has previously launched a national campaign including the website http://www.whynotfindout.org. There is also a site for families http://www.angelusfoundation.com.
2. The letter to the PM can be downloaded from http://www.angelusfoundation.com/maryon-stewart-pleads-with-pm-to-release-legal-highs-report-11-october/
