Save Catford

Drug use and abuse impacts adversely on working class communities in a number of ways. Firstly there is the link between drug use and criminal activity from petty crime to feed a drug habit to murderous turf wars between rival drugs gangs. Then there is the loss of public space with the creation of ‘no go’ areas by users and dealers from stairwells to crack houses. Drug abuse impacts on family life when addicts who are parents fail to socialise their children leading to problems with indiscipline and antisocial behaviour. Possibly the worst aspect of all is the loss of hope for the future which is replaced with the desire to seek oblivion through drugs rather than confront and deal with the harsh realities of life.

The British Crime Survey estimates that up to 70% of acquisitive crime such as burglary, theft from vehicles and shoplifting, is drug related. Local evidence from arrest referral schemes and probation data supports this estimate. Much of this crime is related to the need to raise enough money to feed a drug habit. The more desperate the addict is to get the money to feed their habit, the more violent will be the attempts to obtain that money.

Drug dealing creates an atmosphere of intimidation as dealers carve out their areas of operation and at the worst, leads to open gang warfare and murder. This is an issue that cuts across ethnic lines. The ‘black on black’ gun crime in major cities such as London, Birmingham and Manchester has gained a lot of media attention. However, the problem of feuding drugs gangs is not just confined to the inner cities. The notorious gangland shooting on a farm track at Rettendon in Essex was the inspiration for the cult film ‘Essex Boys’ which was a somewhat glamourised portrayal of a feud between rival drug dealers.

One of the more drastic impacts of drug abuse on the quality of life in working class areas is the appropriation of public and private space by drug users and dealers for the consumption and sale of drugs. Vacant flats are appropriated for use as crack houses immediately creating a climate of fear as the presence of dealers and users keeps people as virtual prisoners in their own homes.

A resident on a council estate in the London borough of Camden described their experience of the impact of the neighbourhood being taken over by drug users: “At one point, they took control of a flat in the block and turned it into a crack house, at which point my mother and other decent tenants became prisoners in their flats - you certainly didn’t feel safe going in and out when you could be stuck in the lift with someone off their head on crack, or be swamped in the entry area by a sudden rush of 6 or 7 youngish guys on heroin.[1]” While the crack users and dealers may only have taken one flat to use, effectively they have made the whole block and beyond a combination of a virtual ‘no go’ area and prison as their antisocial and often unpredictable behaviour deters ordinary residents from anything but the most necessary trips outside of their homes.

There is the loss of communal space on estates as stairwells, public gardens and garage blocks are taken over by drug users, leaving behind a litter of needles and other items associated with drug use. This mess leaves a reminder that even when the users and dealers aren’t around, the communal space on the estate is effectively theirs to use as they wish. A resident of Somers Town in Camden describes the way public space has effectively been taken away from the use of the majority of residents: “Since the ‘house’ opened here, we have also seen females urinating in public in front of children, young children being offered drugs free, blood and drug paraphernalia (syringes etc) on communal staircases, and even women giving sex to punters in public and communal areas.[2]” Given the desperation of many of the people involved in these activities and their unpredictable and often violent behaviour, residents are understandably going to be wary about challenging them.

If a community has been robbed of its public space by antisocial elements, it has lost an arena for socialising and interaction. The simple act of stopping to talk to a neighbour becomes a test of endurance if the surroundings are littered with drugs paraphernalia and there is an intimidating presence of drug users and dealers. Being able to stop and chat to a neighbour without being fearful of the surrounding environment is something that should be taken for granted. Yet the activities of an antisocial and criminal minority are serving to undermine the ordinary everyday interaction that gives a community a sense of cohesion. Taking away public space in this way is effectively an attack on the entire community.

It’s not only drug users and dealers who take away public space but also the poorly socialised children of drug addicts. Drug abuse has a serious impact on families as the associated chaotic and unstable way of life leaves children without any effective parental guidance. As a consequence, these poorly socialised children often exhibit behavioural problems and an almost inevitable drift into delinquency and crime. A feature article in The Observer looked at the impact on the everyday life of Clyde Court, a run down estate in Leeds, of the antisocial behaviour of children from households where drug abuse was rife. Shona Trewannie, who works in a community school in Leeds, commented: “The kids hitting their teenage years now are third-generation drug addicts, with no experience of parenting. They have never lived in a house where people have gone to work and have no idea of what it means to live without violence and squalor. They’re practically feral.[3]” This paints a depressing story of a section of the working class in such a hopeless situation that not only have they lost every last vestige of self respect, they have effectively pressed the self destruct button not only on themselves but on their communities.

All the libertarian talk about allowing people to indulge in whatever takes their fancy falls down when decisions to opt for a life of drug induced oblivion have very real and drastic consequences for working class communities. Drug abuse is not an issue of personal choice - it has serious consequences for the community at large. From the appropriation of public space for drug abuse to poorly socialised children running riot, drug abusers do have a responsibility for the negative impacts of their actions on the neighbourhood they live in. While drug abusers do obviously need all the help and resources available to break their habits, they also have to be made aware of their own responsibilities to the community they live in.

Drug abuse in working class areas is a symptom of the much wider malaise of a loss of hope and faith in the future. From uncertain job prospects and bad housing to poor education and restricted opportunities, the odds are stacked against working class people significantly improving their lot. However, the vast majority of them do not resort to drug abuse as a way of trying to blot out the harsh reality of life. They get on with things as best they can demonstrating that there is still a sufficient level of self respect in the majority of the community to avoid the temptation of softening life’s blows through drug induced oblivion.

The problem is the growing number of young and not so young working class people who see no way of overcoming life’s problems and instead opt for drug induced oblivion as a means of escape. Resorting to drugs to blot out the harsh reality of life is a serious failure of individual subjectivity. It’s not just the loss of self respect that using drugs brings that is a problem but the implied admission that a decent life isn’t even worth struggling for and that oblivion through drugs is the best they can look forward to. Commenting on the issue of drug use in rather broad terms, Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick noted: “Nothing better expresses the lowered horizons and diminished expectations of contemporary Western society than its surrender to the vacuity of the drug culture.[4]” Seeking this kind of oblivion is symptomatic of the atomised and individualised times we live in.

Effective treatment for addicts that will reduce the harm they do to themselves and which will break their habit is obviously a priority. While the wider community understandably objects to the impact of drug abuse, the hallmark of a civilised society is that the drug abusers will get the help they need to stop their self destructive behaviour. Having said this, a way has to be found of sending out a clear signal that drug abuse is not an acceptable lifestyle option. If the drug users are native to the community, then any strategy aimed at eliminating the problem is going to have to avoid polarisation between the wider community and drug users. In situations such as this, both parties have an interest in working with each other in areas such as harm reduction and reducing the adverse impacts of drug use on the neighbourhood.