A handbook advising people how to take drugs - backed by Coventry City Council - has been branded a waste of taxpayers' money.

The guide features advice such as washing your nose after snorting cocaine and avoiding food before taking horse tranquilliser and psychedelic drug ketamine.

It also tells drugs users: "Always use a mirror or ceramic tile to snort your coke off. Other surfaces can leave valuable forensic evidence for the police!"

The booklet, called Safe2Dance, details the risks of taking drugs and gives advice on how drugs like cocaine, speed, ecstasy and LSD can be taken more safely.

The idea behind the booklet is to reduce the chances of people overdosing or suffering a dangerous reaction.

It has been compiled by the Coventry Community Safety Partnership, an alliance of organisations which come together to combat crime, disorder and substance misuse in the city.

The city council, police, fire service, Primary Care Trust, hospital trust, Youth Offending Service and Magistrates Court Service are represented on the partnership.

The 52-page booklet says aims to give you "useful tips on staying safe when you are out and ensure you and your friends have a better time".

But Coventry Northeast MP Bob Ainsworth has branded it a waste of public money.

He said: "The line that shouldn't be crossed is the line that is effectively encouraging people to experiment."

Mr Ainsworth said parts of the guide that crossed that line: "That's not what public money is for. It could be seen as encouraging people to experiment with drugs."

And he hit out at the part which gave people tips on how to avoid leaving clues for the police.

And concerned parent Angela Thompson, 33, of Gunton Avenue, Willenhall, whose son Paul is 14, said: "There is no safety in taking these sorts of drugs. You might as well just send these people into schools and say it is safe for you to take drugs as long as you do it this way."

She said people needed to know about drugs, but not in this way.

---------------------------------------------------------------
What the experts said...

Barry Eveleigh, co-ordinator of the adult substance misuse service, part of Coventry's Community Safety Partnership, said: "Drugs play a significant part in the club scene and this campaign encourages those people who are intent on taking substances to do it more safely.
"We want to make sure people are aware of the risks of taking drugs so, if they do so, they do it safely and with informed choice."

Dr Chris Taggart, a Coventry GP who works at the Woodside Medical Centre in Tile Hill, Coventry, said he supports the guide.
He added: "I can't argue with a booklet like that. The reality is people are taking stuff, and we want them to take it more safely.
"If you are a puritan you think it may well be encouraging... It is unlikely someone would pick that up and decide to take drugs."

Michael Coker, the Warwickshire coroner, said: "I see what their aims are, which is to accept a situation and presumably do the best you can but it does beg a question that it almost seems to me to suggest to people who are reading it that it's normal to take drugs, and I think that's a very dangerous situation to start from.
"I think we should all be discouraging anybody from touching any of it because it's all dangerous."

back | to top | full article >>