MCAT- the facts

You might have heard about a substance called Meow or MCAT. It's also known as Mephedrone and is a really powerful stimulant.

If you are buying it or using it you need to be very careful. It has effects similar to MDMA that lead to euphoria, alertness, talkativeness and feelings of empathy. It can also cause anxiety and paranoid states and risk overstimulating the heart and nervous system to cause fits. There have been reported deaths of people who have used MCAT and using it with any other substance, including alcohol, is extremely dangerous and increases the risk of death.

Download the pdf to find out more or call ReFresh on 01482 331059 for help. You don’t need to give your name or any other details.

MCAT information booklet (size: 518.2 Kb)
(link opens in new window)

Getting help

If you are aged 19 or under and want information or advice about smoking, drugs or alcohol use you can use the ReFresh service. You don’t have to give lots of information about yourself - if you want to be anonymous that's fine.

You can call ReFresh, Monday to Friday, between 12.30pm and 2pm on (01482) 331059 or drop in to Young People’s Support Service at Stonefield House, 16-20 King Edward Street, Hull, HU1 3SS, map (link opens in new window). There will be a trained team member who can talk to you who could arrange a meeting at Stonefield House or if you prefer, they can meet you somewhere you feel comfortable.

If you have a question or want some advice or information you can use the anonymous text service, text 07795 563000 and start the message with refresh. This costs your usual network charge for a text message. You do not have to tell us who you are when using this service and we will not store mobile phone numbers.

Or you can send an email to: refresh@hullcc.gov.uk. You don’t need to give your name or any other details.

Try talking to a youth worker, school nurse about how to get help.

RAPP is a project that offers independent advice and support to children and young people aged 9 to 21 years. You can call RAPP on (01482) 225855 or look at the website www.rapp-hull.co.uk. The Humber Mentoring Programme may also be able to help you. Find out more at www.humbermentoringproject.co.uk or on (01482) 225855.

The smokes no joke website will give you all the information you need to make an informed choice about smoking.

Smoking

“Since I gave up smoking I feel so much more confident about how I look and smell – no more yellow fingers and teeth!”

Mel, 14

It’s your choice not to smoke and knowing the facts can make it easier not to start…

Smoking is one of the most addictive habits around and once people start it’s really, really hard to give up.

The younger someone starts smoking the more likely it is that they could get a serious disease between the age of 40 and 60 years.

Some people start smoking because it makes them feel grown up and in control but the tobacco companies who make the cigarettes they’re addicted to are controlling them and laughing at the smokers for making them so rich.

Sometimes people sell cheap cigarettes and these are even worse for you than normal ones. Don’t go near these. People don’t know what bad stuff is in them.

Where can I get help?

If you or a friend want to give up smoking try talking to a youth worker, school nurse or any of the services below about how to get help.

“I gave up smoking a year ago. It was hard at first but now I can’t believe I wasted so much of my money. At first I was really tempted to light up at parties or if I was talking to a fit lad who was smoking. I did give in once but I was so disappointed in myself I haven’t done it since.”

Meena, 15

Call 0800 915 5959 and ask for CHuckit, the dedicated stop smoking service for young people in Hull and East Riding.

Get in touch with ReFresh. If you have a question or want some advice or information you can use the anonymous text service, text 07795 563000 and start the message with refresh. Or you can send an email: refresh@hullcc.gov.uk. You don’t need to give your name or any other details.

Check out these links to find out more:

www.mindbodysoul.gov.uk

Alcohol:

Stay in control of your drink - rather than the other way round - by knowing the facts about booze. Drinking can be safe and good fun, as long as you control it.

“I was dead excited about the party we’d planned for my birthday. We had a big bucket that we put all the booze in. I had loads of it. After a while I remember feeling dizzy and sick. The next thing I knew I woke up in hospital feeling like someone had taken my insides out and shoved them back down my throat. I’d gone into an alcohol coma and had been taken to hospital with alcohol poisoning. I’d had my stomach pumped and I could have died.”

Siobhan, 16

Never take the risk of driving when you have been drinking alcohol and never get in a car with a driver that you know has been drinking.

Long term drinking can be really bad for you. You’ll probably put on loads of weight, get all puffy looking, get high blood pressure which increases your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, cancer, liver damage.

Never do anything when you’re drunk that you wouldn’t do when you’re sober.

If you are worried about yourself or someone else drinking too much try talking to an adult you trust or try these helplines.

Drinkline 0800 917 8282

Call Childline free on 08001111. Calls are free from most mobiles and will not show up on your phone bill.

Drugs

What are drugs and how can they affect me?

Drugs work in different ways, depending on what’s in them, your mood and how much you take. Some illegal drugs can be really harmful and even kill you.

Using drugs can create a change of mood for some people, creating a high or making you feel relaxed. You only feel like this for a while and you can feel much worse after.

Get the facts so you can make safe choices.

Amphetamine (phet, billy, whizz, sulph, base, paste, dexies) – this is an off white or pinky powder that can be taken in the mouth or injected. It makes people feel wide awake, excited and chatty. It can be very addictive and can put a strain on the heart and speed users have died from overdoses.

Cannabis (draw, weed, dope, ganja, hash) – this can come in brown lumps or leaves. It is usually smoked. Users can feel sleepy, forgetful or very hungry.

Cocaine (coke, Charlie, gack) – this is a white powder. It can make the user feel very happy for about half an hour then they ‘come down’ when they feel anxious, sad and may not be able to sleep. It can be very addictive and can cause chest and heart problems. It can be sniffed or injected.

Crack cocaine (rocks) - crack is made from cocaine and comes in small white crystals. Crack smoke gives people a really short rush, followed by a buzz and then a big ‘come down’. It is very addictive. It’s highly illegal - a serious Class A drug, people can get up to 7 years in prison and huge fines for possessing it, and Life in prison for supplying it.

Ecstasy (E, pills, doves, disco biscuits) – these are tablets made of chemicals. They can make the user have a lot of energy but make them very sweaty, thirsty and confused. This can cause kidney, liver and heart problems and depression.

Heroin (smack, skag, junk, brown) – this is either a brown or white powder, usually brown. It is very addictive. Taking too much can be very dangerous and can lead to death. People often inject this drug with needles. If you see a needle – do not touch it, pick it up or kick it.

Solvents (huffing, solvent abuse, glue sniffing) – these are found in glue, paint and aerosol cans (deodorant, air freshener). It is usually breathed into the lungs. It is very dangerous and can kill people even the first time they try it.

Tranquilizers & Benzodiazepines (jellies, benzos, eggs, norries, vallies, moggies, mazzies, roofies, downers) - tranquilizers can come as tablets, capsules or injections. Doctors often give them to people who are depressed. Benzos are really addictive and some tranquilisers can cause you to lose your memory for a while.

If you smoke cannabis and want to ease off a bit try following these tips.

Pace yourself

Reduce the risk of overdoing it by spacing out the days when you use cannabis

Don’t bulk buy

Or you might end up using more than you meant to

Change your routine

Try to avoid the things you associate with cannabis – do something else or be somewhere else

Be kinder to your throat, chest and lungs

If you smoke spliffs, don’t inhale too deeply or for too long – it won’t get you any higher, it may just mean that you breathe in more toxins

Don’t buy the stronger stuff

Some forms of cannabis, like ‘skunk’, can be much stronger than others, which won’t do you any favours.

I’m worried about myself/a friend…

If you’re worried about yourself or someone else taking drugs try and talk to an adult you trust like a parent, carer, teacher, youth worker or school nurse or try the numbers at the bottom of the page.

You can talk to people who will understand how you might be feeling:

Call the Frank hotline on 0800 77 66 00. It’s free and confidential. Or you can email Frank, just go to the website
http://www.talktofrank.com/

Call Childline free on 08001111. Calls are free from most mobiles and will not show up on your phone bill.


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