STORES USE ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT TO STOP DRUG ABUSE

BRANCHES of Woolworths have installed ultraviolet lights in their
lavatories to make it difficult for drug addicts to see their veins after
equipment for injecting heroin and amphetamines was found in the toilets.

The lights were installed in Woolworths branches in Coventry and Plymouth,
and other shopkeepers in Devon, including department stores and toy shops,
have contacted police after finding drug equipment.

Mike McGann, a spokesman for Woolworths, said that although customers find
the lighting "a bit weird", they are understanding. "It's a minor
inconvenience to customers, a bit like walking into a darkroom," he said.

"On two or three occasions used syringes were found in the toilets in
Plymouth. Bearing in mind our customers are mothers and young children, you
can imagine how they reacted. The lights have stopped the problem
overnight. To this day we have had no further trouble, and at Coventry we
have even gone back to standard lights."

Det Con Mike Bradley, Plymouth's drugs liaison officer, said the problem
had grown in shops as clubs enforced tougher anti-drugs policies. There are
1,000 addicts registered in Plymouth, and he said many now inject
themselves before they enter clubs. Shop lavatories had been an obvious
option.

The police licensing department are encouraging other premises to introduce
the lighting.

Checked-by: Pat Dolan