LET us heed the words of Bromley Cross father Daniel Jackson who recently lost his adult daughter to drugs: “Can I highlight how drugs once again destroy families and communities in and around Bolton on a regular basis” (June 6 2016 Bolton News). We are now warned that drug pushers are designing tablets that attract children. Three 12-year-old children in Salford have been found to have taken ecstasy tablets in the shape of a teddy bear. They dissolved tablets in pop and shared the glass around. Other tablets found at a recent music festival are shaped like Mickey Mouse, Darth Vader, and R2D2.

Some in the drugs field believe this marketing is to attract young adults especially young women. Pastel colours and motifs of butterflies and doves are found.

Ecstasy use has grown again in the last few years. How can we better protect children from drugs and reduce harm to young adults attracted to drugs? Just telling teenagers to turn away from drugs can make them more attractive. There are effective ways of communicating with teenagers that workers can be trained to use. This needs to continue in schools, colleges, university and including after school events and youth activities as not all parents are discussing these matters.

I believe in providing public services that reduce harm and save lives. We should equip teenagers with skills for life to fathom subjects like despair, anger, drugs and relationships. This is a fair use of tax payers’ money and I continue to abhor the cuts to public health funding and the general government grant to the Bolton council by this government. Prevention is better than cure. These cuts can affect children's lives when we want to help them and families more and it is wrong because every child’s life matters in Bolton.

Councillor Sue Haworth

Harper Green ward