Pubdate: 23 March 1999 Source: Belfast Telegraph (UK) Copyright: 1999 Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd. Contact: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ MY DRUGS HELL IN the past five years Peter has spent time in jail, gone into debt, taken an overdose and two of his friends have been shot. The reason? Drugs. Today, Peter*, now aged 22, tells the story of his spiral into despair and near death in the hope that other young people will learn from his mistakes. "Drugs are in schools and there is a lot of peer pressure, but young people should remember that once they try drugs it is very hard to stop," the young Co Tyrone man said quietly. "Like most young people, I started taking drugs when I was 17 because of peer pressure. "I thought I would try them and that would be it." He started using LSD at the age of 17 and quickly moved onto ecstacy. "It was good at the start. A good feeling and I liked it. But it has given me so much trouble since. "At the beginning I just took it at weekends but then I started using it more and more and got into cocaine and speed. "I had the attitude that I would never get caught." Just over a year ago, Peter started dealing in ecstacy and cannabis to feed his own habit. He had no regard for his health and well-being, often going for days without eating, and, during this time, two of his friend were shot in the knees in local feuds over drug dealing. Peter was sent to prison in August for suppling ecstacy and at this stage was using it himself five or six days a week. He also lost his job. After being released, his life almost came to an end when he took an accidental overdose and was found by his sister. The overdose, combined with the fact that a member of his family began to get really stressed over his drug use, brought Peter to his senses and he was put in touch with with a drug rehabilitation unit. "I saw the trouble and pain that I had been causing," he said, "I realised that I did have a real problem." Peter has just finished a 10 week course at the rehabilitation centre in Belfast's Carlisle House. "It made me realise what I was doing to myself," he said. "But I still find it so hard and think about drugs all the time." Peter says he used drugs to escape from reality and the things going on in his life. "But the more you use, the more you need the next time to get the same high," he said. "I would advise other young people just not to get started. "I still have not gained my appetite back and I can't sleep at night. My doctor said it will take months to get back into shape." Peter now hopes to go back to tech in September and has just recently got a place of his own. * His real name has been changed to protect his identity. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea