A CRUSADING clergyman from Padiham has made a hard-hitting film to teach young people about the evils of drugs.

The Rev Lawrie Adam interviewed drug addicts and dealers to produce a gritty campaign video which will be used by prisons, schools, colleges, churches and the probation service.

Titled The Devil's Candy, the film is so moving that even some drug users have found it painful to watch.

Apart from a few basic facts, the 15-minute video is devoted to the story of the devastation caused to seven addicts' lives, as told by the addicts themselves.

Mr Adam, of Burnley Road, is video production co-ordinator for the Church of England in Lancashire.

He told the Citizen: "The impact of the video is designed to be on people's emotions, not primarily on an intellectual level.

"All those interviewed were incredibly open. Perhaps this was because I am a priest and not simply a producer."

Filming was not without risk. One interviewee was seriously injured in an attack just before he was due to speak with Mr Adam.

But the finished product is already having a big impact. It will appear on a government list of recommended resources and has been sanctioned for use in churches across the North West.

One 16-year-old who saw the film said: "I have experimented with drugs, but not anymore. I had to turn my head away at one point."

Ian Phillips, strategy co-ordinator for the Lancashire Drug Action team, said: "The video is an excellent training tool, It is up to date, succinct and very evocative and thought provoking."

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