Life Skills Education

Posts Tagged ‘Drugs’

Growing numbers of children are being treated for cocaine addiction, figures revealed.

Since 2005, the number of under-18s being helped to get off the drug has increased by more than 65%, NHS figures show. Treatment numbers for 18 to 24-year-olds doubled in the same period.

The study by the National Treatment Agency in England found three-quarters of users combined the drug with alcohol.

Mixing is thought to boost the high but also causes more damage to the heart and makes users more violent.

After six months of treatment with cognitive behavioural therapy, four in 10 addicts were clean, but nearly a quarter had dropped out of treatment.

Paul Hayes, chief executive of the NTA, said: “More people are using powder cocaine, more people are seeking help for dependency, and more are being successfully treated.

“Powder cocaine is a powerful stimulant drug which induces psychological rather than physical dependence.

“Most users will be treated locally in their communities with talking therapies rather than medication, and our message to users is that if they need help, they can get it and it works.”

Last year 12,354 people were treated for cocaine addiction in England.

Between 2005-06 and 2008-09 the number of under-18s in treatment went from 453 to 745 and the number of 18 to 24-year-olds doubled from 1,586 to 3,005.

Taken from

Dear Heroin,

I never want to touch you ever again. You’ve ruined my life, made me steal from my family, on probation ’cause of you. Why I choose you I don’t know?

You’re the worst thing that ever came into my life. Yes, I did love you but now it’s time to say goodbye.

I’m so ashamed of myself ’cause of you. I OD’d three times, you’re a big risk to anyone that does it and to me.

So I’m going to be strong and stay away from you and never touch you again.

My family have supported me all the way but I just kick them up the backside taking advantage of them. Stole off my mother, granddad, mam I borrowed money off her and didn’t give it back. She’s getting old now, and look what you’ve made me do, my nan – £120 stolen off her, once again ’cause of you.

I love my family from the bottom of my heart, it’s not nice being called a junkie. It feels horrible, you feel so small. Well I feel small, you made me feel like I’m worth nothing, just a dirty junkie sticking needles in my arms.

You’re out of my life now, don’t need you no more. Yeah, you’ve messed up nearly two and a half years of my life but I’ve still got my whole life ahead of me and I’m going to prove to everyone that I can stay away from you, going to college, getting a job and a car.

Then get on with my life and get my family’s trust back. Stop offending, that’s the only reason I was doing all that ’cause of your dirty addiction. You make me sick to be honest with you.

I did love the buzz of you but you’re not worth it.

But not anymore, I’ll make sure you stay away from me, and I’ll stay away from you.

I was brought up by a good family not a bad one, yeah I’ve had a lot of problems in my life, been quite bad actually, all because of you!!

You’re a killer, you’ve killed a lot of people and really they are good people. I’m lucky that you haven’t put me in a box cemetery.

Lost loads of my mates and it hurts me, they sometimes blank me ’cause they know I’ve been on you it’s not nice when I’ve got pin holes in my arms and marks, track marks.

The illness that I go through when I use you and the after effects, cold turkey, clucking, withdrawals, it’s the worst feeling that you’ve put me through, being bad off you.

Wanted to kill myself a few times ’cause I couldn’t go through it. Well guess what heroin, I can and did do it. I can beat you anytime. I can control you, you don’t control me.

I’ve got enough will power to get you out of my life for good. I’m strong and much stronger than you can ever be. I’m not losing anything over you.

Goodbye heroin. Never again. Family comes first.

Hannah Meredith

1992 – 2009