Despite numerous doctors, advice guides, TV programmes and high-profile celebrities highlighting the bad sides of drugs and the dangerous effects they have on you, more and more young people are still involved in the alarmingly fast growing 'drug culture' sweeping the UK.

What do you mean by 'drugs' then?

Illegal substances such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and crack are all highly dangerous drugs, though some more so than others. The Misuse of Drugs Act separates narcotics into three classes, which determines their strength, illegality and maximum penalties if you're caught with them. For example, carrying the Class A crystal meth could net you seven years in prison with a fine for possession and life imprisonment for dealing, whereas the Class C drug ketamine would earn you a lighter two-year stint in the slammer for possession and five years for intent to supply.

But I thought drugs were cool? My favourite celebrity takes drugs all the time!

Yes, celebrities have influenced drug-taking for over half a century, from Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse all the way back to Keith Richards and Jimi Hendrix. However, just because somebody in the public eye is stupid enough to pump their bodies full of poison, it doesn't mean that it's cool to do so. Many have died over the years from some form of drug abuse including Janis Joplin, Chris Farley, John Belushi, Michael Jackson, Jim Morrison, Brittany Murphy, River Phoenix and even Elvis Presley.

So what are these 'legal highs' everyone's raving about?

'Legal high' is a term used to categorise dangerous drugs which are still technically legal to possess due to not being mentioned in the Misuse of Drugs Act. Legal highs can be further separated into multiple categories: herbal highs, synthetic highs and high-street highs.

• Herbal - Certain legal highs claim to be herbal or natural alternatives to illegal drugs. They are often substances that grow without the need for human tampering, such as salvia, Hawaiian baby wood rose and San Pedro cactus, which actually contains mescaline. You can buy them in seed form or ready to go and they are usually consumed via eating, smoking or sticking them in your brew. Don't be fooled by the 'herbal' label - these drugs pack a punch.
• Synthetic - These are the ones you've probably heard of and the ones that tend to make headlines and mentions on The Jeremy Kyle Show. Mephedrone (meow-meow, drone, MCAT) was legal until recently due to a reported string of deaths linked to the MDMA-like drug. Because the chemical compounds found in these carefully-structured drugs are forever changing to avoid government legislation, you can never be sure exactly what is in them or if it's even been tested for humans. Synthetic legal highs are often disguised to look like an ordinary household product, such as fish food or bath salts.
• High-street - Though not as common as the other categories, high-street highs are discovered by experimental drug-takers by taking extraordinary doses of regular shop-bought products and medicines. For example, cough syrup can give quite a buzz when enough is consumed, but remember that dosage warnings on the side of packets are there for a reason. Overdosing on medicines can prove to be fatal, no matter if you bought it in Boots.

Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, solvents and poppers are also legal but not actually referred to as 'legal highs'. There are still various laws and restrictions on buying, selling and consuming these drugs, especially regarding the last two. Even though you may only be buying a glue stick or paints, the shopkeeper may be arrested if they suspect you intend on sniffing them to get high.