EXPERIENCED clubbers are more likely to add the former ‘legal high’ mephedrone to their drug repertoires rather than use it to replace popular established club drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine, according to new research involving Durham University.

Analysis of a survey from over 300 clubbers conducted just after the UK ban on mephedrone showed that clubbers will take ecstasy pills, cocaine and MDMA powder as well as mephedrone as part of their drug repertoires.

Over the weekend three teenagers were rushed to hospital vomiting blood after taking a legal high known as Clockwork Orange Herbal Incense.

The findings indicate that polydrug use is the norm amongst clubbers with legal, newly banned and established illegal club drugs all forming part of the drug range, particularly for ‘early adopters’ such as gay clubbers in London.

The researchers say polydrug use significantly increases risks of health complications and therefore puts strain on the NHS.

It also puts pressure on the criminal justice system and demands more specific targeting of interventions such as drugs outreach, information services and drug treatment.

The research, published in the academic journal European Addiction Research, was conducted by Lancaster and Durham universities and Guy’s and St Thomas Hospitals, London with funding from the British Academy.

Co-author Professor Fiona Measham of Durham University, said: “Polydrug use can increase the potential harms for drug users and wider society, putting a greater strain on health and criminal justice services that are already over-stretched.

“If we know little about individual 'legal highs' we know even less about their combined use.”

Paramedics were called to a house in Blyth, Northumberland, at 5.35pm on Saturday after the teenagers fell ill.

The two girls and a boy, all 15-years-old, were taken to Wansbeck District General Hospital.

One of the girls was then transferred to North Tyneside Hospital.

A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said their condition had been described as stable and that they were all being kept in for a few hours for observation.

Officers are carrying out enquiries to establish where the substance came from.

Superintendent Alan Veitch said: "We want people to be aware of the dangers of taking drugs, including so called legal highs.

"I would like to stress that the use of legal high drugs is not safe and can kill or have a devastating impact on people's health.”