A community worker has admitted that shock tactics used in the past to steer Bradford's youngsters away from Drugs could have done more harm than good.

Mick Chambers, of the Bradford-based West Yorkshire Drugs Prevention Team, says the 'Just Say No' approach is not the answer when it comes to tackling the problem of drug abuse.

And he believes that, where the methods of the early 90s failed, current prevention techniques, which give people more knowledge about drugs and their harmful effects, are hitting home and ensuring the drugs problem is kept in check.

His comments follow a warning from Bradford mother Barbara Sykes that not enough is being done to tackle the growing menace of drugs.

Mrs Sykes, whose son Ricky is in jail awaiting sentence for the manslaughter of his best friend when he had taken a cocktail of drink and drugs, says lessons need to be learned from the tragedy.

But Mr Chambers, team leader of the drugs prevention service at Metrochange house, says it is a constant learning curve for the agencies involved in tackling the problem.

He said: "It has been well proven that the shock horror approach just doesn't work. The key to the problem is working with communities and consulting closely with them on their needs.

"Drug use will never go away completely - and we have to accept that. We are second guessing to a certain extent, but I think the drugs problem in Bradford has levelled off."

He said heroin was still the major cause for concern because it was cheap and easily available in many areas of Bradford.

"Drugs go in and out of fashion. A few years ago it was ecstasy and LSD, now it's back to heroin. Only by continuing to carry out national and local research projects can we find the best way to tackle the problem," he said.

The parents of teenager Karl Griffin, who died last week after taking a suspected 'bad batch' of heroin have argued shock tactics are the only way to grab youngsters' attention.

But Odsal police schools liaison officer, PC David Crane, said: "It's about giving people the necessary knowledge, showing people how to go about thinking things through and making an informed choice."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.