Drugs: The Dark Side, is a drugs information package originally written for companies concerned about the social normalisation of drug use amongst their employees, which increases risks of not only industrial accidents, but financial errors.
In 2020/21, the UK saw 123 industrial accident deaths. Compare that to South Korea, which has a serious methamphetamine problem, and saw 2,100 industrial accident deaths in the same period, just over 6 deaths per day.
When I looked into the 2015 Health & Safety Executive investigation into the LEGOLAND Smiler Rollercoaster crash, which resulted in the loss of limbs of several riders, I found the cause of the incident was attributed to a software glitch. But that was not an accurate portrayal of the facts. A computer glitch caused the ride to stop, which resulted in no injuries. The injuries occurred as a result of an employee pushing the Start button before the tracks were cleared, resulting in the collision. Why did they push the button when the tracks had not been cleared?
When I questioned the lead HSE investigator on why no consideration was given to drugs, he stated that "drugs were a matter for the police". As the ride operator was given anonymity, we can only depict the stereotype given to the type of person who might operate a rollercoaster ride through the summer. Were they a drug user? Drugs can impact the user’s judgement days, weeks, months, or even years after consumption.
The UK is now awash with drugs and children are a major target of County Lines Gangs, who have expanded their distribution networks from major cities into the home counties. In July 2021 it was reported that 27,000 children in England alone had been victims of County Lines Gangs, many of whom are children to working parents, creating deep concerns and distractions during the working day.
The most targeted age group, to turn into drug traffickers, is 15 to 17, but kids aged under 10 are also targeted to place them below the age of criminal responsibility.
Drugs: The Dark Side has now been reworked into an educational course for UK schools, together with instructor files and training materials, and will be available from September 2023.
DSRM – Keeping Employees Safe through Criminal Psychology.
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