Inside Out East - 30/11/2009

Pills and potions that mimic illegal drugs like cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis, are offered for sale openly on the high street with increasing frequency. Gill Gauntlett, a parent of three teenagers, investigates the sale of these so-called legal highs and is surprised by what she finds. Vendors commonly sell the products as plant feeders or bath salts in the belief that this will get them round the law but, as Gill discovers, this isn't the case. People who buy the products are also often confused, believing that they can be confident they know what they are taking. John Ramsey, who runs medicines database Tic Tac tells the programme that they are discovering tablets with a new chemical compound in every month, the dangers and effects of which are unknown. As more of us take to our bikes to cut costs and our carbon footprints, Julie Reinger takes to the streets of Cambridge to discover why the relationship between two wheels and four is often not a happy one. In 2008 half of all reported accidents in the town involved cycles. Some even call it cyclism. But a morning out with cameras reveals some surprising behaviour from both bikers and motorists. Making houses out of mud is cheap, green and easy. So it's claimed anyway. David Whiteley goes on a week-long course in Norfolk and visits a studio made from cob. Cob building is actually an ancient technique. The materials can be dug from the ground of the building site, reducing transport costs, and very little energy is used in construction. Walls are heavily insulated with highly efficient natural materials and are strong enough to withstand earthquakes.