A Birmingham university is producing a booklet telling students how to safely take illegal drugs like cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy.

The Aston University publication will explain what drugs can be taken together without causing dangerous side-effects, as well as giving guidance on how to go about obtaining "properly supplied" substances.

The university said the guide was designed to promote the welfare of its 6,000 students but critics said it appeared to "legitimise" drug abuse.

Dr Matthew Nye, the university's principal physician, said the booklet was in response to a students' poll in which they were asked what kind of drug information they would most benefit from.

"With the majority of students at the moment the information they obtain is from friends," he said. "So we want to provide more credible information for them and more specific information they want to know. They ask how these drugs will interact with normal medication. For example, if they take the contraceptive pill or antibiotics, can they take cocaine? We are going to look to provide information in a booklet."

Dr Nye added: "There are a lot of young people fed up of being told 'don't take drugs'. We want to give them the real information without exaggerating."

But Birmingham councillor Deirdre Alden (Con Edgbaston), whose ward contains the highest proportion of students in the city, described the move as alarming.

"The danger is students start thinking that official people are telling them that it is all right. I don't like that at all."