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| Legal highs: Police handle surge in incidents ahead of ban | Legal highs: Police handle surge in incidents ahead of ban |
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| The impact of legal highs on police forces across England can be revealed ahead of a blanket ban on the products, which will come into effect in weeks. | The impact of legal highs on police forces across England can be revealed ahead of a blanket ban on the products, which will come into effect in weeks. |
| Freedom of Information responses show the range of anti-social behaviour and crime associated with the drugs. | Freedom of Information responses show the range of anti-social behaviour and crime associated with the drugs. |
| Figures show an upsurge in incidents since 2011 with thousands of mentions in police logs. | Figures show an upsurge in incidents since 2011 with thousands of mentions in police logs. |
| The government said it would abolish the "abhorrent trade". | The government said it would abolish the "abhorrent trade". |
| So-called "legal highs" are psychoactive drugs that contain various chemical ingredients, some of which have already been made illegal while others have not. They produce similar effects to illegal drugs like cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy. | So-called "legal highs" are psychoactive drugs that contain various chemical ingredients, some of which have already been made illegal while others have not. They produce similar effects to illegal drugs like cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy. |
| The data has been gathered by the BBC English Regions data unit and BBC Look North. | The data has been gathered by the BBC English Regions data unit and BBC Look North. |
| The BBC asked police forces for a breakdown of incidents in which different types of legal high were mentioned, such as Spice, Clockwork Orange and Nitrous Oxide. | The BBC asked police forces for a breakdown of incidents in which different types of legal high were mentioned, such as Spice, Clockwork Orange and Nitrous Oxide. |
| Out of the 39 police forces in England, 23 were able to provide at least part of the information. However, many of those who refused said it would cost too much to conduct a "free text" search on their logs. | Out of the 39 police forces in England, 23 were able to provide at least part of the information. However, many of those who refused said it would cost too much to conduct a "free text" search on their logs. |
| Police logs more than doubled in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Leicestershire between 2013 and 2016. | Police logs more than doubled in Cheshire, Merseyside, Lancashire and Leicestershire between 2013 and 2016. |
| Separate figures from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Nigel Newcomen also reveal there were 39 fatalities behind bars linked to legal highs between June 2013 and June 2015, compared with 19 recorded between April 2012 and September 2014. | Separate figures from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Nigel Newcomen also reveal there were 39 fatalities behind bars linked to legal highs between June 2013 and June 2015, compared with 19 recorded between April 2012 and September 2014. |
| One tablet cost son his life | One tablet cost son his life |
| Aidan Karpenko was 19 when he died in June 2014 after taking a legal high called etizolam, which had been bought legally over the internet. | Aidan Karpenko was 19 when he died in June 2014 after taking a legal high called etizolam, which had been bought legally over the internet. |
| The songwriter's mother Louise Tasker-Lynch, from Chesterfield, has co-founded Keep our Young Safer and believes the change in the law cannot come soon enough. | The songwriter's mother Louise Tasker-Lynch, from Chesterfield, has co-founded Keep our Young Safer and believes the change in the law cannot come soon enough. |
| "There was no history of drugs whatsoever (with Aidan)," she said. | "There was no history of drugs whatsoever (with Aidan)," she said. |
| "I can't understand why people would want to put other people at risk when they don't know anything about their situation or how it would affect their bodies. | "I can't understand why people would want to put other people at risk when they don't know anything about their situation or how it would affect their bodies. |
| "I want to see a change in legislation where they do ban these drugs and should anybody sell them I want them to be made accountable. | "I want to see a change in legislation where they do ban these drugs and should anybody sell them I want them to be made accountable. |
| "I don't want anybody to go through what we went through. We're still going through it now and we probably will for the rest of our lives." | "I don't want anybody to go through what we went through. We're still going through it now and we probably will for the rest of our lives." |
| Get the data and read released police logs here | Get the data and read released police logs here |
| Incidents range from low level anti-social behaviour to making threats to kill. Our investigation found: | Incidents range from low level anti-social behaviour to making threats to kill. Our investigation found: |
| The most detailed police logs revealed came from Hertfordshire Constabulary. | The most detailed police logs revealed came from Hertfordshire Constabulary. |
| The force revealed the details of 97 calls to incidents involving legal highs since 2011. They included one in 2015-16 in Rickmansworth where the log said: "Boyfriends smashing place up after taking legal highs." | The force revealed the details of 97 calls to incidents involving legal highs since 2011. They included one in 2015-16 in Rickmansworth where the log said: "Boyfriends smashing place up after taking legal highs." |
| Another from Hertford in 2013-14 said: "Male is constantly smoking something, think it may be legal highs. He screams at night time saying 'get out of my head and running about in and out of block and screaming 'I am going to kill you'. He says it to himself." | Another from Hertford in 2013-14 said: "Male is constantly smoking something, think it may be legal highs. He screams at night time saying 'get out of my head and running about in and out of block and screaming 'I am going to kill you'. He says it to himself." |
| A blanket ban on legal highs will come into force on 26 May 2016 through The Psychoactive Substances Act. | A blanket ban on legal highs will come into force on 26 May 2016 through The Psychoactive Substances Act. |
| Home Office Minister Karen Bradley said: "Psychoactive substances shatter lives and we owe it to all those who have lost loved ones to do everything we can to eradicate this abhorrent trade. | Home Office Minister Karen Bradley said: "Psychoactive substances shatter lives and we owe it to all those who have lost loved ones to do everything we can to eradicate this abhorrent trade. |
| "This Act will bring to an end the open sale on our high streets of these potentially harmful drugs and deliver new powers for law enforcement to tackle this issue at every level in communities, at our borders, on UK websites and in our prisons. | "This Act will bring to an end the open sale on our high streets of these potentially harmful drugs and deliver new powers for law enforcement to tackle this issue at every level in communities, at our borders, on UK websites and in our prisons. |
| MPs have raised concerns that the new law was being rushed amid a lack of clarity over whether it would work. And the homeless charity Centrepoint has warned that the blanket ban may not be enough, calling for better treatment and education on substance use. | MPs have raised concerns that the new law was being rushed amid a lack of clarity over whether it would work. And the homeless charity Centrepoint has warned that the blanket ban may not be enough, calling for better treatment and education on substance use. |
| Mike Pattinson, executive director of the charity Change, Grow, Live (CGL), said: "The stories today indicating that the police have seen a rise in public incidents and deaths in custody due to the use of legal highs highlights the severe lack of knowledge of how dangerous these substances are and that they are a national problem which is not going to go away any time soon. | |
| "There are significant potential health risks and serious consequences caused to the people that use them and their families. 'Legal highs' often contain illegal substances and can be just as harmful and addictive as illegal drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy or heroin. As their chemical makeup is unknown, their effects are unpredictable and the health risks are unpredictable." |