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• Drug Info:

Magic Mushrooms

What are they?
Some types of mushrooms can cause hallucinations when eaten. They can be eaten raw, cooked in food or stewed in a tea.

Also known as…
Magic mushroom have a few common slang name – including Shrooms, Mushies and Majies.*

What the law says…
Possession of magic mushrooms is now illegal in any form e.g. it’s illegal to have them in your possession whether they are freshly picked or if they have been dried, stewed or brewed. Magic mushroom are now regarded as a class A drug and convidtion of possession can then get you up to 7 years in jail and/or an unlimited fine. Supplying someone else with them can get you life imprisonment.

What are the effects?

• Can cause hallucinations; this means that objects, colours and sound may become strange or different.
• Magic mushrooms can have a similar effect to LSD.
• They can make you feel relaxed and feel ‘spaced out’.
• Some people become paranoid and panicky.
• Your perception of risk and danger is altered.
• The effect can be influenced by who you are with, where you are and what mood you are in.

What are the risks?

• A big risk is if you eat the wrong kind of mushrooms. Some mushrooms are very poisonous and when eaten can cause stomach pain, sickness and diarrhoea.
• It can be very difficult to tell the difference between ‘magic’ mushrooms, and poisonous mushrooms.
• Once a ‘trip’ starts there’s no way of stopping it.
• You may have a bad ‘trip’ which can make you feel very panicky and scared for hours.
• People often hallucinate when they are ‘tripping’ and accidents may happen as a result.
• The strength of the effects will depend on how many mushrooms you eat and the mushrooms themselves. It can be difficult to know how much you can take safely or how powerful the ‘trip’ is going to be.
• People who use magic mushrooms a lot can become mentally ill.

Can you reduce the risks?
Drugs can severely damage your physical and mental health. They can get you in to trouble with the law and even kill you. But if you do decide to use drugs, find out as much as you can about the drug, the effects and the dangers and try to reduce the risks as much as you can.

If you do decide to use drugs keep these points in mind:

• Don’t use them on your own, make sure there are people you trust with you.
• Make sure you let the person or people you are with know what you’re taking.
• Try to think about how you are feeling and what your surroundings are like before you take magic mushrooms as this may affect the ‘trip’.
• Don’t mix them with other drugs.
• Don’t take a second lot of mushrooms – it can take longer than you think for the effects of mushrooms to take effect and you may still be ‘coming up’ on the first dose.
• The smaller you are the less drugs you need to get the same effect, but where you are and the mood you are in will also affect the way you’ll react.
• Don’t score off strangers;
• Mixing drugs and alcohol can be fatal.
• Never drive if you have had drugs.

If you become unwell (vomiting, diarrhoea etc) and think you might have taken poisonous mushrooms, seek medical help immediately and go straight to the emergency department at the nearest hospital. Try to take a sample of the mushrooms and tell the hospital staff what happened.

First Aid
If your mate collapses call 999.
Get help to put them into the recovery position.
Tell the medics what they have taken – IT COULD SAVE THEIR LIFE

This information leaflet has been put together by:
FUSION Young People’s Drug & Alcohol Service, and an initiative of the Gwent Council on Alcohol and Drug Misuse.

The information on this leaflet is correct at the time of going to press.

Contact details and links

Name: Dan 24/7 – Wales Drug and Alcohol Helpline
Web: www.dan247.org.uk/
Email: On website.
Tel: 0800 6 33 55 88 (Freephone)
Text: ‘DAN’ to 81066
Info: A free and bilingual telephone drugs helpline providing a single point of contact for anyone in Wales wanting further information or help relating to drugs or alcohol.

Name: FUSION Young People’s Drug & Alcohol Service
Web: www.fusion-online.org.uk/
Email: admin@fusion-online.org.uk
Tel: 0800 731 4649
Info: Fusion is a free and confidential service for anyone aged between 11 and 24 who lives in the Gwent area and is concerned about their own drinking or drug use, or that of a friend or family member. FUSION Young People’s Drug & Alcohol Service, an initiative of the Gwent Council on Alcohol and Drug Misuse.

Name: Talk to Frank
Web: www.talktofrank.com
Email: Online form (you don’t have to give a name)
Tel: 0800 77 66 00
Text: 82111
Info: The website offers a huge amount of info on all aspects of alcohol and drigs. The infoline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to offer FREE info on drugs. Set up by the UK government.

Name: NHS Direct Wales
Web: www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk
Tel: 0845 46 47
Info: NHS Direct Wales is a health advice and information service available 24 hours a day, every day.

Name: The Samaritans
Web: www.samaritans.org
Tel: 08457 90 90 90
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Info: Samaritans provides confidential non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which could lead to suicide.

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