Mum campaigns to get drugs off the streets

Posted in: General News | Read Comments (9)

The mother of a 16 year old Newtownards girl hooked on the lethal legal high Mephedrone has spoken openly about the consequences of the drug that last week contributed to the death of a teenager in Bangor.

Sara Sterling first told her story to the Chronicle just over a year ago. Her daughter had been battling with drug addiction for almost a year, smoking cannabis from the age of just 14.

Her costly addiction led her into a downward spiral of anti-social behaviour. She became irrational and abusive, was expelled from school and began stealing to feed her habit, landing her in juvenile court.

A year later and the scenario is all the more frightening.

Last October, Saras daughter became hooked on a new drug, Mephedrone, which is now being blamed for a spate of young deaths and suicides across the UK, including several in Northern Ireland.

As the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommends the drug be classified as Class B drugs and a ban on the legal high looks likely to be placed on it on April 16,

Sara is appealing for parents of local users to come together in a bid to rid the area of the drug and push to get the right support for their children.

'My daughter had been using the old abattoir in Newtownards as a place to meet and take this drug', she told us.

'She went missing one night and myself and my sister went out looking for her. A taxi driver eventually pointed us in the direction of the old abattoir building. We couldn't believe what we saw when we went in.

'There was around 20 of them [youths], including my daughter, all off their heads on this stuff. The place was disgusting, bottles and things used for taking drugs lying everywhere. Their behaviour was frightening and my daughter was so violent towards my sister that we had to leave and get help.'

The two women ran to the police station and returned to the abattoir with six police officers. However, as the building was condemned, after a short while the officers stated they could no longer continue their search for the young people, as it was dangerous and contravened health and safety regulations.

A few weeks later, Sara's daughter disappeared.

'She was missing for five weeks. I had no idea where she was, or who she was with. The police were very helpful and carried out a lot of local searches, but we couldnt find her. We now know she was moving from house to house within an area of Newtownards, with a gang of other Mephedrone users', she said.

Sara's daughter is currently living in a secure unit, where she has been for the past 10 weeks.

In two weeks time, however, this facility will no longer be available to her, and Sara will once gain be faced with the fact that her daughter will be open to the temptation of returning to drug abuse.

'People need to realise that this can happen to anyone, from any background. No matter how good your children are, all it takes is for them to fall in with the wrong crowd thats what happened to my daughter. She fell in with a crowd at school and they were all using drugs, so she did the same.

'What is important is that people do not hide. Come forward, talk about it, get help. You will be surprised how many other parents are going through the same hell that you are.'

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having been addicted to a large number of drugs n booze,,im now clean a number of years,,thro the sole help of the lord,,but it hurts me so so much to see the young kids getting addicted to this new drug,not to mention the other ones and booze,,plz plz dont start using drugs,,are if you are,plz get urself off it before it kills you,the dangers of drugs are massive and deadly,,plz look for help,,your doctor,ur mum,,are even a friend of the family,who maybe did have a past,and would understand,,i know theres lads and girls in the elim church who would jump at the chance to help anyone,,all good ppl,born again christians,really dead on ppl,,,but know what its like to be struck down there,,in a pit,with no where to go,,but believe me there is,,drugs nearly killed me,,i suffer every day of my life with chronic pain ,pure agony everyday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!due to the damage i caused myself taken drugs,,im not looking poor me,s ,,rather plz,plz, get off this drug n others,,,and get help for your addiction,,i know of other ppl and places that can help,,theres one called dreamlife,just started in belfast,,its ran by really good men and women,,who are trained and have been thro this nitemare ,,,i have left my e~mail address with the paper,,plz contact me if you need help,,are even just want someone to talk to,,if your caught up in this,plz contact me,,are girls ,my wife would help ppl too,we too help ppl,where we are,, n may god rid the streets of these drugs,,ive been there,and not proud of my past,but ive come out the other side,,you can to,,stephen in christ,but down to earth and understand everything,,believe me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted By: stephen robinson | 160 days ago. On 03 April 2010.

its hilarious how you always hear about these gangs of mephedrone addicts everywhere, but ive never actually met any. anywhere. ive taken it quite a few times, and its moreish, as in you want to take a lot at the time. but not actually addictive, its a party drug, you wouldnt want to take it everyday. And, people on it dont act crazy like the woman in this story describes, it makes you chatty, confident and it makes you feel like best friends with everyone. im just not taking it anymore untill i know exactly what the long term effects are. although it doesnt matter really, whatever the research finds out, theyll still illegalize it. isnt it a bit strange that they already have it down as a class b, before any reports on its effect on humans have been published. with a general election just round the corner... Seems to make someone out to look like a hero dont it.

Posted By: john | 155 days ago. On 08 April 2010.

Hey I know the mum in the story and I have seen first hand the going on in her home. The mum is a person that would not deprive her children of anything. Meth is bad and every one is different on drugs. For people to say that it does not make you crazy you could notbe so far from the truth. She is 14 and scares me sometimes

Posted By: William | 154 days ago. On 09 April 2010.

Sorry when she was 14 she scared me sometimes

Posted By: William | 154 days ago. On 09 April 2010.

Sara can you please contact me, i have been campaigning against this now for months, it would be great if we could join forces, my facebook group "get mephedrone off our streets" has over 11,000 members now in just 3 weeks!! Please please please contact me sara!!!!

Posted By: Danielle Gault | 146 days ago. On 17 April 2010.

hi sara good for u....we have set up a group in larne PAL (people against legals) we have quite a bit of support in the town..we want to protest outside the shop and we r havin an awarness meetin on the 13th next month....i would love to hear from u if u have time to share ideas...im a mum too ...

Posted By: diana | 144 days ago. On 19 April 2010.

if any campaigns or protests aginst this drug go on to the streets it might open peoples eyes to this horrific drug. i know friends whos lifes have been ruined by it. and i am willing to help in any way i can

Posted By: James Kelly | 141 days ago. On 22 April 2010.

havin dealt with it close to home i can say it does change people completely and people DO take it EVERYDAY. If i can help in anyway i am more than glad to

Posted By: deb mckibbin | 141 days ago. On 22 April 2010.

Its not the drug its social problems that leads to drug abuse...simply put...mephedrone is not the problem and no point in parents thinking they need to start groups to rid their streets of this evil drug, this girl in question is the product of an unstable environment provided for her by her mother..instead of the mother looking at herself and admitting shes caused the problems she blames everything but herself. Any person that knows Sara Stirling knows this, not to mention the fact were talking about a women who has three children to different men.Her childhood was surrounded with all sorts of problems also created by her father and mother and this has lead further to the problems she has created for her own children. Sad but true. So all parents who campaign for this and that to save their children would better looking at what theyve caused themselves.

Posted By: robert | 41 days ago. On 31 July 2010.