A WARNING about the dangers of taking legal highs during the festive season has been issued to East Hampshire party goers.

As part of its Lethal Highs campaign, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Youth Commission is highlighting the hazards of the new psychoactive substances, or NPSs.

They have similar effects to illegal drugs such as cocaine and cannabis, they say, and can cause serious physical and mental illness and even death.

In Hampshire, the substances have contributed to fatal road incidents.

Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Hayes said: “With the number of deaths related to these substances increasing year on year, a clear message needs to be sent out that just because they are legal, it doesn’t mean they are safe.”