Wee County News

December 2007

We all know that drugs cause damage and ruin to individuals, families and communities. Too many young lives are taken over by drugs, leading to wasted potential, broken relationships and for some, a life of crime. Our communities live under the shadow of drug dealing and our streets can too often feel unsafe and intimidating. I hear so many stories at my constituency stories about anti-social behaviour and many of these stories are directly linked to the mis-use of drugs.

I was disgusted by the front page of the Sunday Mail a couple of weeks ago which showed in graphic detail, a heroin addict unconscious in a doorway as his tiny daughter curled up beside him. This picture highlights the grim reality of drugs and it is particularly upsetting that this is happening on our doorstep here in Clackmannanshire. Heroin is no doubt a killer, and it will continue to kill and destroy people until we do something about it.

There are support services available but they are under a lot of pressure. I have visited Signpost in Alloa on a number of occasions and been impressed with the work they do in very difficult circumstances. For those of you not familiar with the organisation, they provide help and support for drug users across Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire. However, there is an answer to the drugs issue which lies beyond support organisations. That is the strength of our local communities…

If we choose to ignore this problem, it won’t go away. If we allow it to fester and grow, it will one day take over and destroy our kids, our families and eventually our community.

So what can we do? We can use every tool that we have available and try and break the supply chain of drugs and educate people to help them protect themselves and their neighbourhoods from this scourge. In addition to us becoming more aware of drug activity and what to look for, it then is our duty to report these issues to the Police. I raise the issue of drugs with Superintendent Price on a regular basis and he is only too aware and eager to stamp out drugs trade and use in Clackmannanshire. The Courts and the Police have to work together to ensure that potential drug dealers will be so frightened of the consequences that they will think twice before even thinking about entering this evil trade.

Let us hope with all our combined efforts that we never again see images of broken families which have been destroyed by drugs.