MORE YOUNGSTERS WILL BE AT RISK, SAYS DAD

Stephen Holland, 57, who lost his 23-year-old son Lee to drugs, said
Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom's ideas would see more youngsters
becoming addicts.

Mr Holland's wife Julie found their son dead in bed in April 2002
after he had taken a cocktail of methadone, vodka and ecstasy.

He said his son began taking cannabis as a 14-year-old and his
fascination with drugs grew until he progressed to experimenting with
more harmful substances like heroin.

Mr Holland, from Tonypandy, said, "I lost a son who hadn't even
reached his prime. We found him dead on a Sunday morning after we
called him for dinner. It was a terrible thing.

"I know that those who say it should be legalised say it would enable
them to regulate dosages, but they haven't lost a son."

Mr Holland, who also has a 34-year-old daughter, said, "Like most
parents we got them everything we could and always tried to bring them
up with rules and one of them followed the rules.

"I'm not blaming the world because they can say no. Family members
used to ply him with drugs, which I've never forgiven them for. But if
they didn't have them he would have gone to pay for them."