39 KILLED BY HEROIN ABUSE

MORE young people die from heroin abuse in the Northumbria Police area than
are killed on the roads, it was stated yesterday.

Thirty-nine people aged between 16 and 40 died from using heroin in the 18
months until August this year. During the same period 28 were killed on the
roads. The force's Assistant Chief Constable, Tony Crimmens, said that 59
arrests had recently been made of suspected drugs suppliers.

Mr Crimmens said: "I would like to say to young people, think very
carefully about the long-term consequences of taking heroin and also its
short-term consequences. Although only a relative minority of people in the
region use heroin, there is evidence that it is becoming more prevalent."

Mr Crimmens said that one and a half kilos of the drug with an estimated
street value of pounds 500,000 had been seized in recent operations. He
said: "These operations are part of a determined strategy to curb the
availability of heroin and other class A drugs across the region. Without
prejudging the courts, we can say that we reduced the amount of heroin on
the streets."