The NDPA has often spoken of the need to change the culture around illegal drug use. Young people are being bombarded with mixed messages and find it hard to know who to trust. Parents, quite rightly, want to protect their children and don’t want them using drugs which have addiction potential. More and more research is proving that even cannabis is not the harmless substance once thought and the risk to mental health of users is considerable. And yet the media, via tv, newspapers, music and clothing normalise and glamourise drug taking. The letter below was sent to the CEO of a chain of youth clothing shops.

Letter sent to CEO of Urban Outfitters USA May 2012

Subject: Glasses made to look like pill bottles

I am a parent and grandmother, and one of the thousands of dedicated volunteers who work worldwide to prevent our children from using drugs. I am shocked to learn that your company is selling products made to look like prescription pill bottles. Have you not read about the deaths and health harms from young people using prescription pills ? They think the pills must be safe if prescribed by a doctor – not realising that they are only safe for the patient -not for others using them to get high ?

Is there nothing that companies like yours won’t do to make a profit – even at the risk of death and health to young vulnerable teenagers ?

Shame on you.