We all know by now that illegal drugs carry with them many dangers to health – that is one of the reasons why they are banned substances in the first place. Those who choose to partake in them anyway do so in the knowledge that they are risking these dangers as well as the attention of the law.

A more murky situation altogether is that surrounding so-called “legal highs”. The very fact that the common terminology to describe these drugs has “legal” in it might well seduce the unwary into thinking that they are safe.

But “legal” in this case merely means that they have not been formally banned though gradually, as tests are carried out, many of them find their way on to the illegal list.

It certainly does not mean that they are safe to use, as West Yorkshire police are pointing out. There are now more than 200 different chemicals flooding the country parading under all kinds of quasi-brand names.

Taking these substances can result in severe harm to health, and even death. It is difficult for the authorities to keep track of the ever more inventive ways the dealers in such drugs have of combining chemicals and packaging them under new names.

Any substance which alters the chemistry of the brain or body to ape the effects of established illegal narcotics is going to have some kind of negative effect on a person, whether that is in actual physical terms or by lowering inhibitions and common sense and putting the user into potentially dangerous scenarios.

The best course of action is to accept that if something promises to get you high, at some point you will come crashing back to earth – and the fall-out might be much more serious than you anticipate.