Ian is in our Treatment Programme

I had a clean spell for about three years. I started my own business. I’m a skilled fitter/welder by trade. It was all going well. I kept the business for about two years. I had that much money that it was burning a hole in my pocket.

I slipped back into the scene of night clubbing and pubs and girls. I was using recreational drugs like amphetamines. I slowly went downhill and back on to the heavy stuff like heroin. After two years I lost my business. I had three lads working for me, one part-time.

I first started taking drugs when I was about sixteen. It was amphetamines and draw. In about 91’ some of the lads started taking heroin and I was the next one to move on to it. I got onto it through friends and because the police had stopped all the warehouse parties I was bored. It was a new drug to try out.

Prior to coming on to the project here at THOMAS I was living at Police Street hostel in Darwen. In the period before that I was homeless for a couple of months. My parents phoned the hostel and said I needed some help, so they put me in touch with THOMAS. I’ve been here now for twenty-four hours but I think it’s going to be a hard few months.

I come from Blackburn myself. I’ve always tried to get away from Blackburn to face my drug addiction but it’s never worked, so I thought I’d give it a go in my hometown.

The life I led in the hostel was that I got up early in the morning. I would then go out shoplifting. Once I got the money I would go out and score. It was just the same day after day. Sometimes I would go out shoplifting three or four times a day.

Looking to the future, I just want to get through these first couple of weeks detoxing. That’s my main worry.