A MAN who is believed to have bought a so-called legal high over the internet is critical in hospital.

Police in Sunderland have issued a warning following the incident on Thursday (June 11), when the man was admitted to Sunderland Royal Infirmary.

Superintendent Ged Noble said: "Using legal highs, in the way they are intended or otherwise, isn't safe and we would urge people to steer clear of them. They can kill or have a devastating impact on someone's health as they often contain potentially dangerous chemicals.

"Just because the substance says it's legal, doesn't mean it's safe and our advice would always be to avoid using legal highs.

"Officers in Sunderland will be engaging with youngsters to make sure they're aware of the risks and to encourage them to refrain from using them."

Rosanna O'Connor, national Director of Alcohol and Drugs at Public Health England, said: "The risks for users of New Psychoactive Substances or NPS – sometimes unhelpfully called legal highs - can be particularly high especially when so little is known about their content, which can be dangerous and in some cases, even lead to death.

"Some NPS users are developing seriously damaged health and even dependency, and an increasing number are turning to treatment for these drugs. The numbers remain small compared to heroin and crack addiction or to those seeking help with cannabis use, but services need to be geared up to meet these emerging challenges.

"Those seeking treatment stand a very good chance of overcoming their problems, so we would encourage anyone who needs help to seek it.”

Further information and advice can be found at: http://www.talktofrank.com/drug/legal-highs

Anyone who needs emergency medical attention should call 999.