THE mother of an Otley man who died at the age of 22 from a heroin overdose is appearing on an educational video being used in every school in West Yorkshire.

Linda Smith, who lives in Hawksworth, near Guiseley, with her husband Raymond, watched her son Graham battle against his heroin addiction for seven months before his death in Leeds General Infirmary's intensive care unit on June 16 last year.

Her experiences have now been included on a video - One Way Ticket - made by Avant-Garde Films and Ampletude Film Company at the request of West Yorkshire policeman John Taylor.

PC Taylor, schools liaison officer at Pudsey, decided to make his own video after he couldn't find anything suitable to show pupils.

"Eighty per cent of my time is now spent talking to pupils about drugs. I searched high and low for a video that would help teachers put the drugs message over to the kids.

"I didn't find anything suitable. They were either too shock-horror or the people in them were obviously actors," he added.

The video has four segments. Mrs Smith's piece follows an interview with inmates at Wheelstone Prison and is introduced by Hunter from ITV's Gladiators.

There are also sections from a doctor at Bradford's drugs dependancy unit and from a recovering drug addict called Ian.

PC Taylor said: "In it Mrs Smith speaks about her life with Graham and all the problems that arose from his addiction."

The video, which has cost £25,000 to make, will be distributed to schools in West Yorkshire within the next couple of weeks.

Mrs Smith is also taking up a promise Graham made while he was still fighting his addiction.

She is to go into schools in Aireborough and Wharfedale and speak to pupils about her son's battle with heroin.

It was something which Graham had told Otley-based schools' liasion officer PC Dave Robson he hoped to do when he got better.

Mrs Smith said: "Because of the condition he was in at the time, he did say he would consider it. Graham showed great concern for youngsters who might be falling into the same way of life.

"As we know, Graham never made it and so I made the decision to go and speak to the schools instead. I hope I will be able to answer a few of the pupils' questions and give them a true picture of what it was like with Graham."

PC Robson said: "Linda speaks from a mother's point of view and she is able to tell the young people about Graham's addiction and what sort of effect it had on their family."

Mrs Smith is visiting Guiseley School next Wednesday to speak to pupils and answer any questions they might have about drugs and drug misuse.

Headteacher Tony Thornley told the Wharfedale he had several conversations in the past about how the school brought home to pupils the effects of drugs.

"We have to tell them as it is. We can't just give them the negatives, we have to give them all the facts because we cannot make up their minds for them."

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