He says, she says
The recent drugs-related deaths of the tragic Newcastle students is every parent’s worst nightmare, says best columnist Eamonn Holmes
four young people would have had entertainment with supervision, but not the new experience of experimenting? Horrifyingly, the Newcastle travesty may well be a warning that young people are more at risk from dodgy drugs than Coronavirus.
So who’s to blame? Obviously, however harsh, however sad, each of these young people had to bear a certain amount of responsibility for their own actions. Are they really being educated enough prior to coming to university about the dangers?
We know the universities offer guidance and support – but is this just lip service? Is there really a Zero Tolerance Policy? If they were that serious, should they not be searching rooms and using sniffer dogs? Nightclubs are known to have searches and dogs on the doors. The door staff will throw you out if they even suspect you are dealing/taking or in possession of illegal substances, and there are often paramedics nearby if an emergency occurs. Then, we get to the often heated debate of ‘Should drugs be legalised?’ Those that think so argue that drugs would be regulated, authenticated and as a result, less ‘rogue’ than those on the black market.
Whether you know it or not, drugs are easier to come by than you may think. Students have WhatsApp and Snapchat groups, which have the latest offers from dealers. From the ones I’ve seen, it’s easier than ordering your supermarket groceries. So considerate are the suppliers that they even ask you to ‘consider traffic implications and order ahead of time’. Try doing that for your next Tesco order – where I’m currently on a 10-day wait for a slot!
Universities know this information, the police know this information, so why has it taken four deaths for the police to make 10 arrests? As for the price – expect to pay between £30 and £40 for a gram of cocaine. My expertise doesn’t extend to knowing whether that would serve one person, or multiple.
I’ve never been one to worry about the need to ‘fit in’. But I can understand why freshers do. Without doubt, what has happened to each of these young people starting out on their life’s journey is indeed every parent’s worst nightmare. We can only hope that, more than anyone else, young people themselves wake up and get the strength to ‘just say no!’