FATHER'S WAR ON DRUGS

LEAH Betts died within 10 minutes of falling ill from an ecstasy tablet she
had taken before her 18th birthday party.

Her sudden death, in November 1995, hit the national headlines in what was
a stark warning about the dangers of drugs.

Since the tragedy, her parents, Paul and Janet, have been on a worldwide
drug-awareness mission to prevent similar fatalities.

Today, hundreds of Oldham students and schoolchildren had the chance to
listen to Mr Betts giving a heartrending talk about his experiences.

His aim is to dispel the rumours that surround drugs like ecstasy,
cannabis, heroin and cocaine, and help youngsters to make informed choices.

Ex-policeman Mr Betts (56) said: "Many children are fed false information
about drugs and I am trying to give them the full picture. There are two
sides to every story and with drugs there is a bad side to every good side.
It's then up to the individual to decide whether it's worth the gamble."

Mr Betts, a father-of-five, explained: "We do this out of our own pocket
and through donations. We've never had sponsorship from the
Government. Our approach is all about prevention rather than cure.
Sometimes there is no cure."

Leah died from ecstasy poisoning.

"I am targeting non-users rather than users. That way, as drug users die
off, we are left with a clean society."

This drug-awareness drive is also targeted at parents who, Mr Betts says,
cannot be expected to advise their children if they are also uninformed.

He was invited to speak in the borough by The Oldham College.

Director Mr Andy Forbes said Paul had spoken to college students and staff
in the past and the response was so good that they decided to open up this
yeara TM s talk to its feeder schools.

The Leah Betts helpline is on 01542-860760 and 07801-893255.