Public’s duty to aid drugs fight

WHAT Chelsea Cameron has done by speaking out about her upbringing is incredibly brave — and shows remarkable maturity for a young woman (see pages 4&5).

The fact that she has gone on to achieve what she has so far is proof that even those who face turbulent upbringings can still have a fulfilling life.

But not every child in her situation will come out the other end with such high hopes for the future.

Unfortunately, many will be left with little prospect of ending up anywhere else other than in the same place as a parent — another drug statistic, a wasted life.

Chelsea has been blessed with an outlook on life which belies her age but most youngsters need more support than that.

And it can only be hoped that this 18-yearold revealing her story will not only encourage others to speak out and seek help if they are faced with similar circumstances but bring home to Dundee’s communities the need to stamp out the city’s drug menace.

It’s not down to one particular authority or organisation to tackle drugs on our streets. It’s a joint effort between everyone — the council, the police, the health service, the general public and many others.

We all have a duty to act as the eyes and ears of those in positions of power, to ensure that people who are drug dealing are caught, and that those who are facing addiction are given the help and support they need.

If Chelsea’s heart-wrenching story doesn’t make people sit up and take notice of the work needing done to stamp drugs out, few things will. And if her stepping up to be heard helps someone overcome troubles in their own life — as a drug user or a suffering relative — it will be well worth it.