LETTERS AND COMMENT
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What is County Lines?
A network between an urban hub
and a county location into which
drugs (primarily heroin and
crack cocaine) are supplied.
Operators of the network exploit
young/vulnerable people to store/
supply the drugs, and to move money
around. Control of the victims often
includes the use of intimidation,
violence and weapons.
SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS
Ian Hamilton
is right to point
out that the
government, media
and police are
way off the mark...
These are distinct
heroin and crack
cocaine markets
The hypocrisy of middle-class
cocaine users has undoubtedly
been an issue for a long time,
as they endlessly virtue-signal
about their ethical food and
clothes shopping while blithely
using a product that leaves
an endless trail of human and
environmental destruction.
However, Ian Hamilton is
right to point out that the
government, media and police
are way off the mark when
they accuse this cohort of
fuelling county lines violence
and gang-related knife crime
(DDN, December/January, page
25). These are distinct heroin
and crack cocaine markets,
and indeed much street level
gang violence may not even
be related to drug turf wars at
all, but rather pointless ‘beefs’
over postcode rivalries or who
knows what.
As someone who works with
young people it has become
increasingly disturbing to see
the lifestyles into which many
of them are drawn – willingly
or otherwise – and the often
appalling outcomes. There are
no quick fixes or easy solutions
to this, and properly addressing
the situation is going to require
comprehensive, long-term,
systemic change. However, I
very much doubt that, even
if the funding were available,
there would be the political will
to do anything beyond easy,
headline-grabbing short-term
initiatives. Hamilton is right
when he says that these young
people have been abandoned
at a time when intervention is
most needed. I fear things are
going to get a lot worse before
they get better.
Paul Taylor, by email
SHAMEFUL SYSTEM
Karen Biggs is absolutely
right when she highlights the
shameful and utterly self-
defeating process of hauling
vulnerable people in front of
panels to justify why they need
funding for residential rehab
(DDN, December/January, page
6). As a professional who’s
worked in this sector for years, I
still get an attack of nerves every
time I’m in a situation like this so
I can’t begin to imagine what it
must be like for someone who’s
probably never done anything
like that before and isn’t in a
particularly good place to begin
with. She’s right – it’s not how a
national health service worthy
of the name should be operating.
Name and address supplied
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ADDACTION BECOMES WE ARE WITH YOU
What’s behind the charity’s name change?
WE ARE WITH YOU is the new name
chosen by Addaction to reflect its ‘inclusive,
approachable and reassuring’ ethos.
‘Our research shows that language
around addiction can itself be a huge barrier
to people seeking help,’ said acting CEO
Laura Bunt. ‘As We Are With You, we will use
everyday language and focus on the help we
offer, not the problem. Our new name also
better reflects the ethos and history of our
services and how we work with people as
equal partners.
‘At a time when millions of people are
experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol and
mental health and often going without help,
we want to make it as easy as possible to
take the first step in getting support.’
The charity was started in 1967 when
Mollie Craven, whose son was addicted
to heroin, had an article published in a
10 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • FEBRUARY 2020
newspaper. She described parents in her
situation as a ‘neglected and ignored group’
and called for ‘everyone interested in this
agonising problem’ to form an association. ‘We
can help each other, we can help with research
into the problem and its origin and cure; we
can cooperate with the new legislation; in
many ways we can help each other’s children
where we cannot help our own,’ she wrote.
The charity hopes that its new name
‘will help to continue to champion Mollie’s
message of working in partnership to
overcome problems with drugs, alcohol and
mental health’.
The new name and a hand-drawn visual
identity were created by Scottish-based
studio Touch and the accompanying user-
friendly website was designed in house
– wearewithyou.org.uk will go live on 26
February.
WWW.DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS.COM