After returning from a national drugs conference in London, Jersey’s Drug and Alcohol Service director Mike Gafoor revealed that his UK colleagues knew very little known about Salvia.
‘They have not had any problems with Salvia in London,’ said Mr Gafoor, ‘but that is not to say that the rest of the UK has not – London is a different drugs scene.
‘Salvia may be something used in rural areas by youngsters who cannot get their hands on class A drugs, so look for alternatives.’
Harmful
Now back from London, Mr Gafoor said that Salvia could have harmful effects.
‘It has been reported to cause hallucinations which can obviously affect people’s behaviour,’ he said.
‘Other drugs that affect perception, such as ecstasy, cannabis and LSD, can cause hallucinations and have been associated with mental health problems and Salvia could be a similar drug that can cause similar problems. We do not know enough about it yet.’
