THE mum of a recovered heroin addict is urging other parents not to suffer in silence.

And the Great Sankey woman, who does not wish to be named, has hit back at the attitude that drug users should be imprisoned.

"If only it were so easy to lock them up and forget about them, then we as a family could have been spared all the pain of the last four years.

"It is this attitude that prevents families from seeking help, they are the invisible victims.

"I have never blamed anyone else for my son taking drugs, but neither do I believe that he knowingly set out to become addicted, nor could I turn my back on him when he asked for help.

"We always thought the problem of drug abuse could never happen to us, but sadly it did."

And she says more help is needed.

"Thank you to the Guardian for giving printing space to this problem and hopefully raising awareness of drug abuse.

"It is vital that resources be put into educating both young and old and also into treatment for the addicts."