Teesside mum speaks out about North East drug culture which took her son

There’s a culture of drug taking in the North East and it has to stop.

Those are the words of Hartlepool mum Paula Houghton, she lost her son James in 2013, after he took ecstasy at a festival.

This comes as we revealed the North East had more deaths from drug poisoning than any other region in England and Wales, with both Hartlepool and Middlesbrough in the top 5 towns.

Of the 10 local authorities with the highest rates, nine are either near or on the coast

The Office for National statistics released the figures yesterday, showing 770 deaths from drug poisoning in the North East last year.

Paula explains to us how James’ death affected their family;

“Absolutely devastated, our world’s changed for all of us, for the whole family.

“Not only had our son died, but it was due to drugs. We absolutely couldn’t believe it. Not James, not him.

Now Paula is determined to draw attention to the drug problems, which are rife in the North East.

“There’s no particular type who takes them, it’s everybody. I’ve learnt since that it’s a massive culture.

“They are so easily accessible, they’re more accessible than alcohol is, so that’s why they’re starting younger and younger.

“It is – let’s just talk about what we’re gonna have, when they go to parties.

“They think they’re invincible. They were only nineteen, they’re teenagers, they’re babies.

“They just think – yeah we’re gonna be fine, we’re gonna be alright.

“And they’re not.