PROJECT WILL TACKLE DRUG DEATH TRAUMA

JUST days after a Perthshire dad issued a heartfelt warning following
the death of his son from a drug overdose, a project has been launched
to improve understanding of such tragedies.

This week, a new database was introduced in Tayside in an attempt to
improve the response to drug deaths.

The project will gather information on all drug deaths in the region
in an effort to understand better the causes of those tragedies and to
inform efforts to reduce their frequency.

Only last week, as he laid his son to rest, grief-stricken dad Alec
Harvey spoke of histeenage boy's death over the festive season after
dabbling in heroin just twice.

He hoped by talking out his child's death would serve as a stark
warning to others about the dangers of drugs.

On Hogmanay, 18-year-old Aaron was discovered dead in a Perth
flat.

The teenager from Ballinluig died of a suspected drugs overdose after
a night drinking and dabbling in heroin and Valium for just the second
time.

"My world has just fallen away," revealed Aaron's dad last week. "I
never thought I would be burying my boy.

He struggled to continue: "He was such a well-natured laddie, always
had a smile for everybody.

"He fell in with some seriously wrong company and now he's dead," the
mourning dad reflected.

This week, it was announced that, building on the success of a system
developed and piloted in neighbouring Fife, Tayside's multi-agency
Drug Death Monitoring Group will be reviewing the information gathered
on every drug death incident to ensure lessons are learned from each
fatal overdose.

The group has recruited members from all key agencies across Tayside
including local authorities, NHS Tayside, local Drug and Alcohol
Action Teams, the Scottish Ambulance Service, HM Prison Service,
Tayside Community Justice Authority and Tayside Police to help in the
development of the database.

Dr Kirsty Licence, chair of the group, said, "The reduction of
drug-related deaths is of the highest priority for all services
working with drug users in the region.

"We are aware of the devastating impact these deaths have among
family, friends and the wider community, and in Tayside we are
committed to learning lessons from these distressing events to help us
work to prevent further deaths from occurring."

If you are concerned about your own, or someone else's, use of drugs
information and help is available from the 'Know the Score'
confidential helpline by calling 0800 587 587 9.