The blame for the shocking number of young deaths in Hyndburn should be laid squarely at the doors of the dealers who peddle killer drugs, the coroner believes.
But Mr Singleton says that the police face an uphill battle in taking them off the streets due to their ‘limited resources’.
The coroner for Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, who is due to retire later this year, said: “It’s the young men with no visible means of support who drive round in really flash cars, and the multi-millionaires that import this stuff that we should be angry at.
“But they are completely anonymous, they don’t take any risks.
“Investigating the criminality of these matters is very, very difficult and would require an immense effort and probably one that would be unrealistic in terms of the fact that the evidential trail would be problematic. A lot of these young people acquire cocaine themselves so your main witness has died.”
He said that sudden deaths of people due to the drug are having a ‘dramatic and devastating’ impact on families.
Coroner Singleton told the Accrington Observer that families are left angry, blaming themselves and feeling ashamed to admit their family member’s death was drug-related.
He said that the way people are suddenly dying from the so-called party drug was markedly different to the death of people using other forms of drugs - such as heroin - which forces users to chase their next hit.
Mr Singleton added: “Where I might distinguish between the two is in terms of the impacts upon bereaved families because it seems to me that if you have a son or daughter who has developed an addiction, that you may well have done everything in your power to help and assist but you may have come to the realisation that there was an enduring risk that this would be the outcome.
“Whereas if it is simply that your son or daughter socially on a Friday night or a Saturday night, takes drugs that have no lasting impact, so in other words you are dealing with people who have strong family connections, strong social groups, are in full-time employment, who just die suddenly the impact is dramatic.
“Ultimately when it then transpires that the death was drug-related, in a lot of cases the impact of that is one of anger for families, anger in respect of themselves for not having done something, not having armed their children with the appropriate mechanisms to deal with peer pressure or whatever, and anger with regards to the person who has died for being so stupid as to sacrifice everything for so little.”
Of the cases he has dealt with, Mr Singleton said he had not found that any of the victims had been involved with either mental health services or addiction charity Inspire.
He said: “I am not an expert, and I have never sought to be judgemental about what choices people make.
He added: “It’s no comfort that there are other families going through exactly the same thing, and I know will go through it in the next weeks.
“In the six weeks before I retire there are more families that are going to go through this.
“I don’t have answers. But at least I feel I need to raise the question.”
If you want advice or help about the risks of cocaine there are local organisations that can help.
The Inspire service based on Eagle Street in Accrington is open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, and also operates from community venues the Woodnook Community Centre and Women’s Centre. They offer one-to-one support and group sessions, detox and rehabilitation. To contact them call 01254 495382.
Red Rose Recovery and the Lancashire User Forum both offer help and support for people of all backgrounds struggling with drug and alcohol misuse.
Red Rose is active in the community, making links and building projects for recovery community involvement inclusive of families, carers and the wider community. The Hyndburn branch is based on Eagle Street in Accrington and can be contacted on 01254 879966.
Narcotics Anonymous is a non-profit society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem.
They have a helpline that runs from 10am to midnight for people who need help or advice, on 0300 999 1212 and they hold weekly meetings at Maundy Grange on Abbey Street in Accrington.
What you can do to help fight the killer cocaine epidemic
- Educate yourself and others: National organisations such as Frank offer detailed explanations of what the short-term and long-term effects are and its risks for users.
- Talk openly about it: Speak to friends and family and create an honest dialogue about drug use.
- Spot signs of drug use: Cocaine can change your personality. In the short term cocaine can make a user feel confident and wide awake. But repeated use can cause agitated behaviour, mood swings, severe addiction and heart attacks.
- Offer support: If you are concerned someone you know is taking cocaine, offer support or encourage them to get help.
- Seek help and advice: Confidential 24-hour chatlines and local services are open to anyone with concerns.
- Alert police: If you suspect someone might be dealing drugs in your area, you can pass information to the police through 101 or anonymously by calling Crimestoppers.
