A COURAGEOUS woman whose son died of a heroin overdose says much more needs to be done to clamp down on drug dealers.

Faye Cairns, from Greenock, is upset by new statistics which show the number of drug deaths in Inverclyde has more than doubled in the last 10 years.

The 59-year-old knows only too well the devastating impact this has on families as her vulnerable son Jamie, who had battled drug problems, passed away in April 2010 aged just 26.

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She said: “There has to be a crackdown on drug dealers. All these drug dealers are looking for is money. They don’t care whose lives they ruin. They are ruining young people’s lives and their families at the same time. My heart goes out to other families who are going through this.”

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The latest figures on drug deaths has sparked a renewed debate about how to tackle the problem and as well as calling for tougher measures on dealers, Faye feels there is a need for people to show more empathy towards people battling drug addiction.

She said: “What annoys me is that people judge those with drug addictions but they don’t know the circumstances. You don’t know why people got into that situation.”

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