The drugs issue is once again becoming clouded by political posturing
and woolly liberal thinking.

Heroin is the problem, not cannabis. Between 50 and 75 per cent of
shoplifting, car crime and burglary is directly related to heroin addiction.

Children as young as 12 are committing hundreds of offences a year to
feed their habits. Locking up dealers has to happen, of course, but
society must recognise that every time one is locked up there will be
four or more waiting to take their place. There is so much money to be
made dealing in heroin that the benefits far outweigh the costs at
present. In health terms, the human costs are enormous.

Young people are injecting brick dust into their arms after being
ripped off by unscrupulous dealers; others mistakenly overdose because
the dealer did not really know the strength of his merchandise.
Addicts risk blown veins, septicaemia and gangrene. There is an answer.

Treat heroin addiction as an illness, and one that is so serious that
it endangers the whole of our society.

Addicts should be encouraged to register with their GPs and be
prescribed pharmaceutical heroin. It costs very little, and is what
they crave, and everyone concerned would know precisely what the
strength is.

C. M. GRIFFITHS
Worcester