Star comment: We must all help in drugs fight
For those who think that their community is safe from drugs, today's reports showing the extent of narcotic abuse across Shropshire will make for salutary reading.
Police might believe they are winning the battle against drug abuse, but a vast number of crimes continue to take place each year. And a Shropshire Star report shows that nowhere is immune.
Supposedly sleepy market towns like Church Stretton faces problems. The off-the-beaten-track village of Clungunford, a village with a population of 300 people, was the location of a drugs factory that made crystal methamphetamine for London nightclubs.
Much Wenlock, the home of the Modern Day Olympics, was the location of a cannabis bush that was so large that it was worth £1,500.
In Oswestry, crack cocaine and heroin were secreted into Kinder Eggs.
Across Shropshire, the stories for all towns and villages are the same. Seemingly quiet neighbourhoods have been plagued by the curse of illegal drugs.
The toll on lives and neighbourhoods from drugs is devastating. Families are ruined, streets are tarnished and communities are stigmatised by the illicit trade. Though the extent of substance abuse will cause many to pause and reflect, the picture is not entirely bleak.
Police are targeting illegal drug use and trying to protect our streets. They are weeding out the pushers, the dealers, the growers, the makers and the users who blight this peaceful county.
They are working with partner organisations to attack the symptoms as well as the causes. They are trying to prevent people from being attracted to drugs in the first instance, knowing that once people are hooked there are unimaginably grave consequences.
The figures are disturbing as they stand. However, it is worth reflecting on this fact: crime associated with drugs also damages our society. The junkies who break into cars, steal handbags, burgle homes or thieve from schools cause devastating trauma and loss.
The proceeds from their nefarious activities go straight back to the black market, perpetuating a cycle of crime and degradation. Though police believe they are winning the battle, there ought to be no let up. Drugs are a scourge on many lives. The victims are not just those who take them, but the many unwitting innocents caught in the cross fire. We have a civic duty to help the police in their quest.
