1. What age are you and were you ever questioned on your age when buying from a so-called ‘head shop’?
I was fifteen years old when I bought a pre-rolled ‘joint’ from a head shop (I am now seventeen) and was never questioned on my age.
2. Have you ever taken any illegal drugs before?
I have never taken illegal drugs before. At the time when I smoked the ‘joint’, purchased from a 'Myth and Magic' outlet I was, I guess, somewhat younger and naive enough to believe that because it’s ‘legal’ it must be ok.
3. What was the name of the product that you bought in the head shop?As far as I can remember the name of the legal high I purchased was 'Triple X', however I'm not certain as the shop assistant placed an array of ‘joints’ on the counter and I randomly chose one. Triple X was a name I had heard mentioned before however I am not sure if that is what I actually took.
4. Was this your first time to purchase a ‘legal high’ from this or any other shop?
It was my first and last time to purchase a ‘legal high’ from any shop.
5. Can you explain the experience you felt after you had taken the substance?
After I had smoked the substance I fell into a deeply psychotic state from which all ‘rational’ thinking was non-existent. It started when I tried to stand from my sitting position but my body was unwilling to co-operate. I then heard a voice in my head saying 'I’m in control, not you'. At this point I started to, for lack of a better word, freak-out. I tried to stay calm, repeatedly telling myself 'it’s only the drug, chill out'. Yet while I was saying this my body was moving completely of its own accord, while the voice in my head told me it was going to kill me. At one point my head jerked, not of my doing (or so it seemed), in the direction of a tree and the voice said 'I’m going to hang you from there', then jerked in the direction of a river close to where I was, and the voice said “or maybe I’ll drown you”. From there onwards I completely lost all ability to keep myself calm and the voice was truly in control. He (and I say he and not me because I genuinely had no control of my own body) walked me into a packed shopping centre also close to where I was but I was unable to ask someone for help as I so badly wanted to. Inside I was a nervous wreck, it was such an unusual feeling, I could hear myself think, but it was like that was all there was of me, a voice, a thought inside the head of a body no longer in my control. Yet externally I showed no sign of my inner turmoil. I suppose you could compare it to a car skidding and about to crash on an icy road. The driver knows disaster is about to strike but can do absolutely nothing about it. Now imagine the drivers panic before the impact, that’s how it was, except it wasn’t for a few seconds, it was for hours, literally. I knew something terrible was very likely to happen, yet I was the driver of a car completely beyond my control. All the while this voice plagued me, telling me ways it might kill me, even ways it might kill other people using me as a medium. My body then brought me back outside to where I started from, while the voice in my head tried to decide whether it would have my body attack this person or that. Fortunately I mustered the strength to call my parents, although I knew It would pain them to hear what I was doing, I knew it was necessary, and an ambulance crew were called. When my parents arrived I roared abuse at them, while inside I just wanted to ask for their help. They came over and tried to restrain me as I flailed and kicked and spat. Some onlookers also helped until the ambulance crew arrived and sedated me. However as I far as I know the sedation had little or no effect. The next thing I have any recollection of is waking up in intensive care the following day.
6. What were the after-effects of taking the substance in the following weeks and/or months?
Thankfully the after-effects were not as bad as they could have been, although there is no doubt about it that that’s only because of my ability to contact my parents. If I had not I may well not be here right now. In that psychotic state my body was literally capable of anything. . Suicide, . . Assault, . Murder. After the incident it took weeks for me to fully regain complete mental coherence. I often thought for a second that maybe that voice is still there; maybe it’s just ‘staying under the radar for a while’. However I’m now fine and have learned a lesson from that experience.
7. Would many of your age group use products from head shops?
A surprising amount of people my age use head shop products. Some on a regular basis, others, just ‘the odd time’, perhaps on a night out. I hope that in doing this interview at least a few people may rethink their outlook on head shops, or even rethink their decision to purchase and consume the possibly lethal ‘legal highs’ on sale in these morally hollow, and socially unacceptable outlets.
Ógra activist Luke Callinan, who conducted the interview, had this to say: 'This interview gives a first hand account of how buying head shop products can have devastating effects. The really worrying aspect about the whole situation is that even hospital staff could not treat this youth who had taken legal highs as they didn't know what was in the product, in fact, when the victim was brought into the hospital the staff there did not detect anything unusual in the victims system. I would go as far as saying there may well have been deaths caused directly by these legal highs that we don't know of yet. In the coming weeks and months Ógra Shinn Féin will be conducting a number of these interviews all around the country to highlight how highly dangerous these substances can be and so to put a bed to the crazy state of affairs where potentially lethal substances can be sold over the counter'.
8 comments:
What a load of rubbish. Either the person interviewed had major psychological issues before smoking the joint or its a load of rubbish.
In the end of the day, its people's choice what they put into their body and common sense dictates that they should no the consequences. You don't smoke triple X or Salvia, or whatever else without knowing it's going to have an effect.
Sinn Fein taking up the whinger's plight again.
I would advise this person to be very careful about anything he/she takes in future including alcohol it would seem they are very suscpetible to drug induced psychosis.
I have used head shop stuff a good few times. I have had one unpleasant experience, many more on drink. They arent good but they are not the mass psychosis inducing poisons the hysterical gang are trying to paint them as. I could find a dozen mates who have had very bad experiences on drink. The issue here is he was 15, he shouldnt have been sold them.
SF need to show leadership by not caving to every populist mob whim.
These places should be paying extra taxes along with pubs on health education it's quite obvious the current education programmes arent working in the schools perhaps civics classes in pre secondary with a strong focus on health could help aswell
good to see the dubs going along with motions passed at the ógra national congress. I must remember not to take them seriously when they start rambling on about drinking coca cola.
^ People are entitled to a point of view in fairness to be fair.
As regards the whingers plight, i dont think so. If the actual legislation we are proposing is looked at, our position is clearly the most progressive and sensible, and involves regulation.
The argument many would make about your own body, you own choices is fair enough. Equally, many would claim that this is undercutting drug dealers, an argument I can understand. However if something is legally on sale, for human consumption (which of course it is, despite all the loophole type claims), then it ought to be chemically safe.
These products clearly arent, and there are cases where it has caused extreme reactions, as well as more mildly unpleasant reactions you refer to. They are dangerous substances, and to have them being sold without any regulation is incredible.
You might call it a populist whim, but people in our communities are frightened because dangerous substance, and largely untested substances, are as easy to buy as a box of matches.
@Blissett: I dont dispute these things need to be heavily regulated but making them illegal will change nothing. The motion we passed at the ard fheis is I think a good motion and from what I've seen of the bill we have produce it is the correct step. But in a way we want it both ways protesting for the shops closure but putting forward a bill which doesnt close the shops.
@Take it Down from The Mast: I have never denied any of this. I argued strongly against the motion at congress. I dont see you campaigning abortion rights as was passed at congress a few years ago so save me the holier than thou.
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