Heroin is the danger drug
Source: Letter published in the Dorset Evening Echo
Pub Date: January 21, 2002
Author: Mrs S Day
THE tears fell from my eyes to read Tim Champion's report of a desperate father's plea to save his son from heroin (Echo, January 16), until my eyes dried at reading some of the closing comments. Was it really necessary to bring poor Prince Harry into it, coupled with a stark warning that if tempted to try cannabis you may become a heroin user?
Cannabis should not have been brought in to an otherwise very good report.
And If you look again you will also find that most if not all users smoked tobacco before cannabis.
Is this not your normal progression or is this really just a feeble answer to a question you had already answered earlier when we read that the lad was in prison, and that this is where he took what was available and that was heroin?
Why? Maybe because it's so much easier to get it, and it only rests in.the blood stream for a few days, whereas cannabis is smelly and bulky and the results of eating or smoking it will last for a good few weeks.
So, with the continued enforcement of regular drug testing which includes cannabis, it has now created a market for heroin use to thrive.
And, regrettably that produces more addicts to return to our homes and streets to feed their habits.
Why does this father blame cannabis for our society's failure in letting his son and many others down?
He may even find it could help him when he does give it up.
Methadone itself is also a powerful drug, which carries with it its own side effects.
Following recent changes of the policing of cannabis In parts of London, I hope we shall soon be able to follow their lead and maybe we can allow local resources and policing to concentrate on heroin abuse.
And to be able to offer to those that provide the help and care needed, like the Community Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service (CADAS), the funds they need to take in addicts must be available when needed.
It is a crime that this has happened in the first place.
Those who can, must make sure we do not let this lad and others like him down again.
MRS SAM DAY
Dorchester