How to protect your child from the risk of drugs
There are many things you can do to help protect your child from the risks of using drugs and alcohol.
You can:
- make sure they know you care about their happiness
- make time to spend with them and talk about their problems or worries
- show an interest in their plans to know where they are
- be open about what you know on the risks of alcohol and drugs
- agree on rules and the consequences for breaking them
- support them in their interests, activities and hobbies
- support them with their school life. For example:
- make time for their homework
- encourage them to take part in school activities
- talk to their teachers about any problems
The Bridge: parenting support services
A parent's guide to drugs
This guide will help you understand young people’s drug use. It's based on relevant research and contains practical advice about what you can do as a parent, whether your children are using drugs or not.
A parent's guide to drugs
Help for young people
If you have a child or know a young person who's experiencing problems with drugs or alcohol, contact a young person's substance misuse worker for free confidential support. Call +44 (0) 1534 445008 or email
a&dservice@health.gov.je.
New psychoactive substances (legal highs) and the law
New psychoactive substances, also called legal highs, often contain illegal substances. They are designed to mimic the effects of mainstream drugs.
Laws put in place quickly in Jersey have ensured that some of these drugs that are legal in the UK are illegal in Jersey and buying them from UK websites and importing them into Jersey is a criminal offence.
They cannot be legally sold, supplied or advertised for human consumption under the law. To get around this, sellers often refer to them as:
- research chemicals
- plant food
- bath crystals
You can be prosecuted if you're found in possession of legal highs, even if you're not sure what they contain.
Police are actively seeking intelligence on these substances and the dealing of them.
Risks of legal highs
There are lots of risks to consider because:
- they are completely new and untested. The short or long-term effects of their use are unknown
- users can never be sure of what they're taking, as new compounds and variations are constantly being made
- you cannot be sure that they don't contain an illegal ingredient
- being legal does not make a drug safe
- they can have serious effects on mental and emotional health
- mixing with other drugs, including alcohol, can increase a risk of an overdose
Side effects
Serious side effects can include:
- extreme depression
- panic attacks
- paranoia
- self-harm
- suicide
- seizures
- comas
- death
What to do if someone overdoses
If someone has overdosed or had an adverse reaction, call an ambulance immediately and put them in the recovery position.
Tell the paramedics and health care team what has been taken so they have a better chance of providing effective treatment.
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