BY BARRIE CLEMENT


Many of the drugs in circulation at the moment seem to be deliberately aimed at children. Some of the tablets look like sweets and one in particular bears an imprint of Darth Vader.


When Unite in the Community organiser in Ireland Albert Hewitt heard about William’s campaign, he felt the union should help. “It jumped out at us. It touched our hearts and we thought we would get behind it,” he says.


Unite’s deputy regional secretary Jackie Pollock has pledged to help fund the campaign. “There have already been success stories because of William’s campaign. People have come off drugs because of it. We are 100 per cent behind it and we would like it to spread further than Belfast,” he says.


Unite has sponsored a One pill can kill mural on the peace line which divides a Catholic estate from a Protestant one. Ironically during the Troubles the paramilitaries kept drugs under control by dealing ruthlessly with drug dealers.


Now they are earning money from it, says Jackie.


Together with Unite, William, who was brought up a Protestant, wants the campaign to be seen as a cross- community initiative.


“Working class families on both sides of the peace wall suffer equally from the scourge of drugs and Unite has proud roots in both communities” said Albert. “We hope the mural will ensure that as many young people as possible are aware


of the possible consequences of taking just one pill.”


Meanwhile William and Lesley have to live with the devastating consequences of the evil trade. William often wakes up with a start at 3.25 am, precisely the time when the police came to his door early that November morning.


“


Fighting back – William and Lesley Burns with Unite’s Albert Hewitt


There have already been success stories because of William’s campaign. People have come off drugs because of it. We are 100 per cent behind it and we would like it to spread further than Belfast


Jackie Pollock


Unite deputy regional secretary


”


Find out more HERE 25 uniteWORKS Summer 2017


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