SOCIETY is in danger of losing the war against the drugs menace that is sweeping across Lancashire, leaving in its wake a trail of tragedy and lawlessness.

The blunt warning was delivered by the county's coroners and police this week as they called for more help to combat drugs.

The coroners took the unprecedented step of gathering for a press conference to voice their fears.

They pointed out that two people a week die in Lancashire from substance abuse and that heroin-related crime costs every household in the county £147 a year, and yet drug abuse is no longer considered shocking.

The coroners are telling people to wake up and realise how big the problem has become, and they are pleading for more resources and new ideas to tackle the problem.

Police also say more is needed to support the good work of all the organisations which do anti-drugs work.

Burnley and Pendle's police chief, Superintendent Mike Griffin, said: "The coroners' announcement is very timely.

"Deaths from drugs are unacceptably high in this part of Lancashire. It is tragic that there is such a waste of life."

He said there had been much success in police operations to target dealers, and combined efforts with the probation service had begun to force addicts to change their habits.

Mr Griffin also praised the efforts of local drugs teams, but said more help was needed in every area of anti-drugs work, from children's education to help for users and anti-crime measures.

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