Recovering addicts at risk from dealers

A Dundee drugs worker has warned people in the midst of recovery to be wary of dealers “preying” on them online.

Sharon Brand co-founded Recovery Dundee in 2015 to offer support to people who were attempting to establish a new, drug-free life.

However, the former heroin addict said since she began her recovery, she has consistently been targeted by dealers offering her drugs via Facebook, and said many of the people she supports are also being contacted.

The issue has come to a head following a year in which Dundee was named the “drug death capital of Scotland”. In August, statistics showed there were 38 drug-related deaths in the city in 2016

In January this year, 12 people died in the city from drugs – more than one person every three days.

Sharon said: “People in the community we are supporting are being targeted specifically.”

Sharon said she was receiving unsolicited messages “at least once a month” trying to sell her drugs – mainly prescription tablets such as Xanax, Valium and Gabapentin.

“Facebook needs to keep a closer eye on what people are doing on their platform. People are dying here in Dundee and elsewhere. This has got to stop.”

A Facebook spokesman said: “We encourage our community to report any activity like this using our reporting tools so we can quickly remove it.”