The Worcester Standard has launched an anti-drugs campaign after claims that children as young as nine were injecting heroin in the city.
It is backing a multi-agency initiative called TACKLE (Take Action to Curb the Killer). The Standard has distributed 25,000 bright yellow TACKLE cards free with the paper, aimed at informing parents. They explain the dangers posed by drugs such as cannabis, ecstasy, crack and heroin, the symptoms from which users will suffer, the danger signs to look out for and a list of telephone helplines.
A former addict, speaking at the launch of the TACKLE campaign, said: “The drug culture in Worcester is massive.
There are 12 and 13 year olds here who have been injecting heroin for three years.”
Worcester Standard editor James Iles said: “We do not wish to alarm parents and hope they never have to use the TACKLE drugs guides. However, forewarned is forearmed.”
An additional 5,000 leaflets have also been made available at key agencies around Worcester and are to be distributed to city high schools.
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