Leah Heyes: MDMA death teen's mother fronts anti-drug campaign

The parent of a 15-year-old schoolgirl who died aft taking MDMA is fronting a run urging families to person "early and positive" conversations astir drugs and alcohol.

Kerry Roberts' girl Leah Heyes died successful May 2019 aft taking the cause successful Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

The 'NotMyChild' run besides has the backing of North Yorkshire's constabulary and occurrence commissioner Zoë Metcalfe.

Ms Roberts said the 'just accidental no' attack was not ever enough.

She said it was captious parents and their children spoke astir cause and intoxicant use.

"For years we person been telling our children to 'just accidental no' to drugs, and successful an perfect satellite possibly that would beryllium enough," she said.

"But, the satellite is complicated, increasing up is hard, and young radical are astir apt going to instrumentality risks, truthful arsenic parents we request to beryllium having antithetic conversations with them."

She urged parents to "talk calmly" with teenagers "before thing goes wrong" and to enactment them to recognize risks linked to substance misuse truthful they person the facts that they request "to acceptable their ain boundaries".

Ms Metcalfe added: "As a genitor myself, I americium inspired by Kerry's determination to bring thing truthful affirmative and inspirational retired of Leah's tragic death, and I afloat enactment her successful helping parents and children to person those important and often hard conversations."

She said accusation contained connected the NotMyChild run website is designed "to get the speech started".

As portion of the month-long campaign, Ms Metcalfe volition promote secondary schools crossed North Yorkshire to stock a associated missive from her and Ms Roberts.

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