SWINDON DRUGS FEATURE: THE IDEA that your child might become involved with serious drugs like heroin is every parent's nightmare.

But the sad reality is it does happen, and every parent should be aware of the signs of drug use, because the problem needs to be tackled as early as possible.

Home Office British Crime Survey figures (2001/02) show that seven per cent of drugs taken by young people between 16 and 21 in Swindon last year were Class A drugs, like heroin or crack cocaine.

There are currently 2,500 people addicted to Class A drugs in the town and the Evening Advertiser and the police have launched the Swindon Drugs Hotline to crackdown on the dealers.

Swindon and Wiltshire Alcohol Drug Service says concerned parents should look for the following signs of heroin use:

poor physical appearance, pale skin and weight loss, caused by loss of appetite

temper tantrums and mood swings

borrowing or stealing large amounts of money

being uncommunicative and secretive.

heroin use dilates the pupils, slurs speech and makes the user drowsy.

finding tinfoil in pockets, which is used to smoke heroin

snorting heroin causes redness around the nose.

marks on the arms from injecting

A spokesman for the service added: "The trouble is that a lot of the differences in behaviour.

"These can be mood swings and being uncommunicative which are typical teenager behaviour anyway."

Christine Fairs' son, Wayne, who died in Jan-uary at the age of 21, got involved with heroin when he was 17.

The cause of Wayne's death has not yet been officially established, and an inquest is pending.

But Christine, 40, of Wins-ley Close, Penhill, noticed a change in her son when he started using heroin.

She said: "The first thing I noticed was that his moods changed a lot.

"He was a nice placid lad, but when he needed that stuff he became nasty and argumentative. He started off smoking it, and I found tinfoil lying around the house.

"Later, I noticed he had marks on his arms where he had been injecting. I knew it was serious then. Another thing I noticed was that when he was on heroin, his eyes were like pinpricks, and his voice was slurring."

If you are concerned your child may be involved with drugs, call Swindon and Wiltshire Alcohol Drug Service on Swindon 695405 or call Druglink on Swindon 610133.

The Swindon Drugs Hotline was launched on Monday. On the first day 26 people called with information for the police, and the number has grown steadily since then. Officers will use the information in their fight against around 100 dealers who sell an estimated £50,000 worth of heroin and crack cocaine in Swindon every day.