A HEROIN USER
This man is 26 years old and still lives with his parents. He has been using heroin for over two years now and first became hooked on the drug in 1998. His habit varies, sometimes he may have a couple of bags at the weekend, and sometimes he goes without. It depends on his money situation (he does work) and whether he is going out. He is established in his own heroin network, and knows many users and addicts alike.
HAVE YOU NOTICED AN INCREASE IN HEROIN ADDICTS IN THIS TOWN OVER THE PAST 5 YEARS?
I have noticed an increase in the number of users, I have met many new people and have seen a lot of people get fu**ed up on it. There are a lot of younger people who have started too do it, you know 17-20 year olds. When I first started there were quite a few addicts that I knew, but now I can walk down the high street and say 'smackhead, smackhead, smackhead.
IS THERE AN EPIDEMIC IN THE TOWN?
Well in a way yes, there is a lot more about and its certainly the main drug about at the moment. Its not really an epidemic, its just a popular drug; loads of people smoke draw but I haven't heard the word 'epidemic of cannabis use' being used.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF THE INCREASE?
People get bored, people want to try something new, people get depressed. There are loads of reasons, and if the drug were legalised whose to say that the majority of the population wouldn't be on it.
HAVE YOU/DO YOU SMOKE CANNABIS?
I smoked draw before I went on to use heroin, and I still smoke it now. There are a lot of heroin users that don't smoke draw, they just use heroin straight away, and it's their first choice drug.
WHAT WAS YOUR DRUG EDUCATION LIKE AT SCHOOL?
(Laughs) My drug education at school was rubbish, what I know is what I have learned myself. Now it's more like 'drug-mis-education.' I think there's a copper in this town who goes around schools and shows the kids the stuff he has in his black briefcase-what a load of fu**ing sh*t. I was smoking draw while I was at school, loads of us were doing it, and the teachers knew it. No one kicked up a fuss.
WOULD YOU SAY THAT DRUG EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS HAS IMPROVED SINCE YOUR SCHOOLDAYS?
No. There is no drug education in schools, just some copper telling kids 'no.' What schools need is a decent programme that tells them the advantages and disadvantages, they need addicts and ex-addicts top go in and talk to them.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ARRESTED/KNOW MANY THAT HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR HEROIN RELATED CRIMES?
Not me, I work and so whenever I fancy a bag I can but it. However, a load of my smackhead mates do go out and nick, and I say that as long as it ain't from my house then who cares. They need to support their habit, and the only way they can do that is by getting hold of some money, that is the way this fu**ed up system is. If we lived in Russia they wouldn't have to nick-I think communism is the way forward.
IN YOUR EXPERIENCE WHAT IS TE ATTITUDE OF THE POLICE TO HEROIN USERS?
They have got a bad attitude-nick them and send em down. The police aren't good at many things, and so they pick on heroin addicts, they are easy to arrest and prosecute. It makes the police look good and gives the papers something to print.
WHAT % OF THE HEROIN POPULATION WOULD YOU SAY COMMIT CRIME?
About 30%. I don't inject, I hate needles. I know a few people who jab, but most of my mates tin it, you know they take it off the foil.
HOW MANY ADDICTS WOULD YOU SAY ARE IN THIS TOWN?
F*ck knows, probably a couple of thousand, no a thousand. That's nothing.
DOES THE GRANTHAM JOURNAL ACCURATELY AND FAIRLY REPORT THE HEROIN PROBLEM IN THIS TOWN?
The Grantham Journal (laughs). That paper is a joke. Some of my mates have been in their and they can never seem to get the facts right. One example is my mate who was arrested for possession of speed; he went to court and got a fine. Come Friday he found out he had been caught with heroin-well according to the paper that is.
IS THERE A PANIC IN THIS TOWN SURROUNDING HEROIN ABUSE?
Everyone's panicking about heroin. My mum and dad were talking about it a few weeks ago, my mum didn't feel safe walking the streets with heroin addicts about. Little does she know she lives with someone who takes it?
HOW DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM BEING OVERCOME?
Firstly we need a detox centre in this town; a lot of my mates talk about rehab and detox-but there ain't nothing in this town. I think something needs to be done with education as well-it ain't just the kids that need educating its everyone-even my mum and dad. Finally I think the paper needs to stop printing a load of stories that make the public look at heroin addicts like a piece of sh*t stuck at the bottom of their shoes. Alcoholics are not persecuted, so why are heroin addicts.
WOULD YOU THEN SAY THAT SOCIETY IS MISINFORMED ABOUT HEROIN?
Course it is. The only people who really know about the drug are the takers, and perhaps its them who can teach the rest of this town about the drug.
AS A HEROIN USER, DO YOU FEEL EXCLUDED FROM THE 'NORMAL' POPULATION?
In some ways yes, not many people know that I do it outside of my heroin group. I can really tell them I do it because they will think im a fu*ked up junkie who sticks needles in his arms. That is the way they are taught to think about heroin users. All people are told that heroin users are bad, they steal, they leave needles lying around for little kids to find and catch aids, and they are wasters who do not deserve to live. People need to wake up and open their eyes, just cause the local rag says those sorts of things it doesn't mean its true-papers lie and exaggerate, they never tell the whole truth.
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