Health chiefs in the Lothians have issued an urgent warning about a new “legal high” which has left 20 people recovering in hospital.

The new drug, sold under the name Ivory Wave, claims to be the “strongest party powder there is” and it has left users suffering from nausea, anxiety and hallucinations. Doctors are warning the side effects could be even more severe.

They say the chemicals contained in some versions of the product could lead to loss of bowel control, fits or seizures, kidney failure and muscle damage.

The drug is sold as 'bath salts' to get around food and drug legislation. STV News was able to buy the chemical easily from a shop in Edinburgh's city centre, after asking the shopkeeper for bath salts. A gram of the chemical costing £20 was handed over in a small plastic bag marked "not for human consumption".

Jim Sherval, Specialist in Public Health, NHS Lothian said: "The chemicals used in legal highs change all the time so people can never be certain what they are actually taking and what the effects might be. In most cases, the products have not been tested, so little is known about how toxic they are.

"It is important that people understand that just because a substance is legal or claimed to be legal, it doesn't mean it is safe. We need to get across the message that these legal highs pose a real danger.”

NHS Lothian has now launched a campaign aiming to convince young people to avoid experimenting with similar drugs.

The UK Government has already tried to crack down on legal highs after a substance called mephedrone, often referred to as meow meow, was linked to a number of deaths across the UK. 

However, experts fear that when mephedrone was made illegal, a number of new drugs hit the market as a replacement.

Anyone who feels unwell after taking a legal high is urged to contact their GP or NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24.