MIAYA Bryan knows only to well the real cost of turning to a life of drug abuse and crime. She started smoking heroin four years ago and within a year she was injecting the drug and had an expensive habit to support, which she did by turning to shoplifting.

Not only did she become one of the criminal classes, she lost her children though the drug habit too both were taken into care, she has not seen them for a year and it appears she may lose them forever as they are being put forward for adoption.

Now after serving a prison term for shoplifting and theft, Miaya is warning others not to fall into the same trap and says it is too easy for people in her situation to get back into the drugs spiral after getting out of jail.

For others in her situation it is difficult to heed that advice when you are out of control of your life in this way. A home and employment are key factors in the road to stop re-offending.

And help and support from agencies such as Druglink is vital to get reformed drug addicts back into normal life.