Star comment: Tragedy should be warning on drugs
Jamie Penn of Telford is not here to tell others of the folly of taking drugs in pursuit of legal highs.
He was dead on arrival at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford after taking drugs believed to include "meow" and "synthetic coke".
He leaves behind a hole in the lives of all who knew him. He was 29.
While Jamie cannot speak, his death speaks for him. It should send a message to others who look to drugs to get their kicks.
His sister Charlotte Delo has lost a beloved brother. He had everything to look forward to, she says.
Many people will be surprised that the inquest on Jamie heard that the drugs that killed him, and present a real danger to those who take them, are currently legal.
Charlotte has spoken up with courage and dignity in an appeal to others not to touch these drugs. If that message gets through, then something positive will have come from this tragedy.
Meanwhile the wheels of officialdom are slowly turning and it cannot be long before they are banned. It would be naive to think that that is where things will end. Day in, day out, people are taking illegal drugs, even those in prison, and if illegal drug use can be happening there, we should be under no illusions about the difficulty in cleaning up society generally.
Stern warnings from police, government ministers, and the like, are not going to cure the problem of young people taking drugs, because by and large they are not the people this audience takes its lead from. However the views and actions of their peers creates the culture and the environment which they inhabit.
For those who try to tell others that these drugs are safe, Jamie's death is the proof that they are wrong.
For those who are tempted to experiment with these drugs, Charlotte's plea may help persuade them to think again.
There are legal highs to be had – by living life to the full, stretching yourself through sports and adventure, trying new things, going new places, meeting new people, falling in love.
These are all things to be enjoyed when you are young.
Drugs? Charlotte says it all: "Jamie had prospects, he had a future. And it's all gone now."