Drugs are much more common than a lot of people would like to admit, and usage numbers are only getting higher, warnings of their side effects are plastered all over the news and internet as a deterrent to turn people away from usage. It is true, drugs can be addictive and they may have temporary side effects, but do those facts really overshadow to more serious, less advertised worries surrounding the topic?

Cutting of drugs with harmful adulterants is a big problem, unlike the media says it is highly unlikely there is going to be rat poison found in street drugs. However many less scary sounding, but just as dangerous substances are used frequently to sell lower quality drugs for higher amounts of money, and unless they’re planning on using a testing kit to test their purity, it's highly likely the user will know about the adulterant until they have taken the drug and have become extremely ill.

A list of common adulterants can be found here - http://bit.ly/2gjeJWN

However, drugs of lower purity aren't the only problem, information is now emerging that while some drugs in certain areas are being cut, others such as MDMA and Ecstasy are getting worryingly stronger. So strong in fact that people are overdosing on amounts previously thought to be safest. Hospital admissions are going up for both overdoses and side effects, as higher purity poses many risks to mental and physical health.

But if these risks are so large why are they not more publicised?

The most likely reason for this is because in order to inform and talk about these risks it has to be acknowledged that people are taking drugs, and no one wants to be the first person to state this. It is easier to state that drugs are bad and to simply leave them alone then to go into the details about why, and how the same drug can have large variations depending on the supplier and place.

The safest advice to give is if drugs are going to be taken, test them first. If they are found to be of incredibly low purity, or other unexpected substances are found to be present, throw them away. If nothing is found and the user feels they are pure then start low. Take the smallest dose possible and build on it if it is felt to be really necessary. Instead of taking an average recommended dose and putting their health and maybe even their life at risk.

Articles on the topic of high purity;

http://bbc.in/2bE2Yqt

http://bit.ly/1XWYbUP

http://bit.ly/2gjaMkP