Author Topic: Which 'military-style brat camp' in the US (Read 2850 times)

Oscar · « **on:** August 30, 2011, 02:58:20 PM »

Mother of teenage genius obsessed with Pete Doherty who died of heroin overdose blames 'public glorification' of drugs, Daily Mail Online, August 30, 2011

Quote

A boy genius, 'obsessed' with troubled rocker Pete Doherty, died of a heroin overdose when he became hooked on drugs after taking 'gateway' legal high meow meow, his mother said today.

Peaches Geldof's pal Freddy McConnel, 18, had an IQ of 144 and was a teenage member of Mensa, a contestant on Junior Mastermind, a table-tennis champion and a talented musician but his bright future could not save him from his addictions, his inquest heard.

After the hearing his mum, celebrated cartoonist Annie Tempest, gave a statement from herself and her ex-husband composer James McConnel, who was not present as he was looking after their daughter.

With tears flowing down her face she said: 'Freddy's death was of course a tragic waste of a young life, but as his parents we can only hope that the moderate amount of publicity it has raised may help to bring attention to bear not only on the dangers of drugs but on those who publicly glorify them.'

Mr McConnel has previously said Doherty should 'take responsibility for the drug culture he has engendered'.

Ms Tempest, known for her cartoons in magazine Country Life, added: 'Do not think for one minute that legal highs are safe.

'Freddy's diaries clearly state that he knew his downward spiral started with what was then a legal high mephedrone (meow meow).

'It was a gateway to his ultimate death. In his diaries he has written an accurate account of how he descended, Freddy himself thinks it began aged seven.'

The coroner's court in Westminster heard that Freddy had had a promising start to his life but he could not beat his demons of addiction.

The 'witty' youngster got a scholarship to Gresham's School in his home county of Norfolk, but according to psychiatric reports he was unhappy there.

Freddy, who threw himself into things with a 'determination which was frightening', discovered music and writing at just 13 in 'a love of both words and music which had he lived would have ultimately become his career,' Ms Plant said.

Doherty's music 'dominated' his iPod and Mr McConnel wrote after his death: 'He idolised Doherty and Doherty's lifestyle; he dressed like Doherty, with a facsimile of Doherty's trademark black trilby permanently perched on his head.'

Ms Plant added: 'Tragically Freddy had his demons, and what began as experimenting with drugs at 13 gradually morphed into the full-on disease of addiction which, although he fought it, gradually defeated him.'

He was expelled from school and sent to rehab and 'military-style brat camp' in the States to try and keep him away from drugs when he was a young teenager, but all failed.

At one point the heavy user was taking 30 grams of mephedrone a week and at 16 he was smoking up to a gram of heroin a day and had to be sectioned after a psychotic episode.

Freddy, who suffered with an anxiety disorder, had managed to stay clean for four months and was receiving treatment but relapsed just weeks before his death.

On May 28 this year he was found after his worried parents had sent a friend round to check on him, there was no answer and the police were called.

They climbed in through the sash window of his Battersea flat and Freddy was found face down on his bed surrounded by the detritus of drug abuse including needles and heroin spoons.

Toxicology reports found toxic levels of 0.57 milligrams of morphine per litre of blood, leading to a verdict of death by non-dependent drug abuse.

Dr Wilcox said: 'Freddy was clearly a highly intelligent young man who unfortunately suffered with his demons.'

When asked to explain the verdict by Ms Tempest she said: 'This verdict is for a person who lost his tolerance to a level of drugs previously acceptable to him and I find this verdict most fits the evidence I have heard today.'

Ms Tempest recommended that anyone considering taking drugs should read Mum, Can You Lend Me 20 Quid? by Elizabeth Burton-Phillips for an account of the destructive effect that substances have.

The mother could have blamed Beatles for "Lucy in the Skys with Diamonds" or Stan Lee for the naming of Peter Parker's girlfriend, but she did choose to blame a music nobody known over in England. Anyhow it would be nice to know what program in the US she sent her son to.

Oscar · « **Reply #1 on:** August 30, 2011, 03:00:31 PM »

Comments to the article:

Quote

poor lad rip
- a wally, lost, 30/8/2011 18:17

Quote

I have said for years once anyone in the public domain is proved to be a drug addict that should be the end of their career. If they have become rich and famous they can go to clinic the average young person cannot afford that luxury and ends up as a thief , a drop out or dead. The argument will be will loose wonderful artist sad but we will also lose a lot of young people which is the most important.
- KEITH BEVERLEY, Gillingham Dorset, 30/8/2011 18:15

Quote

What a waste of young and promising life thanks to filth that is heroin.
- Dismayed, The North West , 30/8/2011

Ursus · « **Reply #2 on:** August 30, 2011, 11:21:54 PM »

Quote from: "Oscar"

The mother could have blamed Beatles for "Lucy in the Skys with Diamonds" or Stan Lee for the naming of Peter Parker's girlfriend, but she did choose to blame a music nobody known over in England. Anyhow it would be nice to know what program in the US she sent her son to.

Freddy McConnel was sent to "a Wilderness School in the US - better known as Brat Camp," at age 14 or 15. This from another article, authored by his father.

Interestingly enough, the Daily Mail has updated the above article in the OP and removed all mention of Brat Camp, choosing to expand on the Pete Doherty angle instead. Good thing you caught it when you did, Oscar.

Ursus · « **Reply #3 on:** August 30, 2011, 11:36:42 PM »

Fwiw, here's that updated Daily Mail article (note different title):

-------------- • -------------- • --------------

The Daily Mail

Glorification of drugs left our talented son Freddy dead: 18-year-old obsessed with Pete Doherty died of heroin overdose

By NICK MCDERMOTT
Last updated at 10:09 PM on 30th August 2011

Wasted talent: Tragic Freddy McConnel died from a heroin overdose in May

The parents of an ‘exceptionally bright’ teenager obsessed with Pete Doherty yesterday blamed the glorification of drugs for their son’s fatal heroin overdose.

Freddy McConnel was a talented musician, a table tennis champion and a member of Mensa who had appeared on Junior Mastermind.

But the 18-year-old was found dead in his London flat in May this year, surrounded by used syringes and a dirty spoon.

He was a close friend of Peaches Geldof and wrote in his diary about how he intended to inject heroin during one of her visits.

And he idolised rock star Doherty, dressing like the singer and often wearing a copy of his trademark black trilby.

After his inquest yesterday, his mother Annie Tempest read out a family statement which said: ‘Freddy’s death was of course a tragic waste of a young life. But as his parents we can only hope that the moderate publicity it has received may help to bring attention to bear not only on the dangers of drugs but on those who publicise and glorify their use.’

His father, composer James McConnel, has previously called on Doherty to ‘take responsibility for the drug culture he has engendered’.

Idol: Freddy was obsessed with drug-addicted Libertines singer Pete Doherty

Freddy began taking drugs aged seven, the coroner’s court in Westminster heard yesterday. By the time he was in his teens, he was a heavy user of mephedrone – also known as meow meow, until last year a legal high – and went on to use heroin daily.

His mother, who draws the Tottering-by-Gently cartoon strip in Country Life magazine, said yesterday: ‘Do not think for one minute that legal highs are safe.

'Freddy’s diaries clearly state that he knew his downward spiral started with what was then a legal high, mephedrone.

‘It was a gateway to his ultimate death. In his diaries he has written an accurate account of how he descended – Freddy himself thinks it began aged seven.’

Freddy was ‘an exceptionally bright child’ and was ‘assessed as gifted’ while at primary school and swiftly bumped up a year, the court heard. As a teenager, he threw himself into things with a ‘determination which was frightening’ and had a ‘love of both words and music which had he lived would have ultimately become his career’.

In an effort to beat his addiction, he spent three months in the Priory rehab clinic in Essex last year and further time in a specialist clinic in South Africa.

Grieving family: Freddy's mother Annie, sister Daisy and father James

But a statement read to the court by coroner’s officer Deborah Plant said: ‘Tragically, Freddy had his demons and what had begun as experimentation with drugs gradually morphed into the full-on disease of addiction which, although he fought it, gradually defeated him.’

His body was found in his south London flat by a police officer after his parents became concerned about his wellbeing. He was lying face down on his bed with drug paraphernalia scattered around him.

A post-mortem examination found toxic levels of morphine in his bloodstream, and coroner Fiona Wilcox yesterday recorded a verdict of death by non-dependent drug abuse.

Soon after his death his father had spoken of his son’s obsession with Doherty, writing: ‘He idolised Doherty and Doherty’s lifestyle; he dressed like Doherty, with a facsimile of Doherty’s trademark black trilby permanently perched on his head.’

The singer, who rose to fame with The Libertines, was jailed for six months in May after being filmed taking crack cocaine by Robyn Whitehead, a documentary-maker, the day before she died of heroin poisoning.

During sentencing, the judge told the singer he had an ‘appalling record’ of court appearances for drug-related offences. He has made 14 court appearances and faced 25 drug charges.

Angry friends of Miss Whitehead, a Goldsmith heiress, branded the singer ‘morally responsible’ for her death.

In May, Sheila Blanco, the mother of Cambridge graduate Mark Blanco, 30, who fell to his death from a balcony after an argument with Doherty and two other men during a party, called for the singer to face justice.

The CPS found no evidence of a criminal act.

Doherty has always denied any wrongdoing.

© Associated Newspapers Ltd

Oscar · « **Reply #4 on:** August 31, 2011, 06:11:23 AM »

More news - a "wilderness school":

Losing Freddy: a father speaks out about his son's heroin death, London Evening Standard, June 16, 2011

Quote

We live in Norfolk. A little over two weeks ago, having heard nothing from our son Freddy for 48 hours, my ex-wife Annie and I asked a friend, Sarah, to go round to his London flat to check he was OK.

It was late evening when Sarah arrived, and although the bedroom light was on, no one answered when she rang the doorbell. Extremely worried now, we called the police, who broke into the flat. Freddy was lying face down on the bed, having died some hours earlier from a heroin overdose. He was 18 years old.

Those are the cold, hard, clinical facts, and as his parents, Sarah's distraught voice crying, "He's dead, he's dead" down the phone will haunt us for ever.

The initial shock was devastating in a way we couldn't possibly have imagined. I felt as though I was vomiting emotionally; one moment crying with an intensity I had never before experienced, followed by short periods of unexpected relief. This continued almost uninterrupted for four days. Then, because there was so much to organise, a kind of numb efficiency took over. We functioned perfectly well. We spoke to the local vicar; we designed the service sheet; we sat with the undertaker, drinking tea while calmly and politely discussing the design of our son's coffin. It felt utterly surreal.

I still feel numb, but I know it won't last, and I'll welcome the tears. Limbo Land is not a nice place to be. Annie and I have both had a chance to reflect, to think back, to ask ourselves how our beautiful, precious boy could have gone from the happy baby who sang in his cot, to a pitifully thin, lifeless shadow lying on a filthy, needle-strewn bed.

We knew Freddy was unusually bright very early on and we weren't especially surprised when, at the age of six, he was assessed as a "gifted child". Much later, he became a member of Mensa.

Apart from the fact that we both worked at home - Annie's an artist, I'm a composer - we were a normal family. We did normal family things: school runs, shopping, going on holiday. Freddy was forever restless and curious - about everything. He loved to spill out the contents of Pandora's box for examination, regardless of the resulting mayhem. We adored him, of course.

At his primary school, it was suggested that we "bump" him up a year - which we did - and we've sometimes wondered if that wasn't a dreadful mistake. He may have been ahead of his peer group mentally, but emotionally he was still his chronological age.

Though often refusing to follow the designated path, when there was something which did fire Freddy's enthusiasm, he went at it with almost frightening determination. At 11 he decided to get a scholarship to our local prep school; for no other reason, I think, than to prove that he could. And he did.

Also, aged 11, he decided he wanted to compete on BBC's Junior Mastermind. Choosing the life of Mozart as his specialised subject, he went at it with an enthusiasm bordering on obsession, immersing himself in all things Mozart. He appeared on the programme and won his specialised subject round.

When he was 12, it was table tennis. For two years he focused his being on the game and was a quarter finalist in the under-15 UK championships.

Freddy saw each achievement as its own end, rather than as a gateway to something else. Once he'd done what he wanted to do, he lost interest and moved on to something new. To us, it always felt as though he was searching for something just out of reach.

It was at 13 that he found it. He discovered music and a love of writing. This latest enthusiasm was inspired by the songs of Pete Doherty. For the rest of his life, the musical content of Freddy's iPod was dominated by Babyshambles and The Libertines. He idolised Doherty and Doherty's lifestyle; he dressed like Doherty, with a facsimile of Doherty's trademark black trilby permanently perched on his head. He began teaching himself to play the guitar and he began writing songs.

Coincidentally or not, this was when the first subtle hints of trouble began to appear. Because he had remained a year ahead of himself, academically, his peer group were that much older than he was. This made him both vulnerable and impressionable. At an age when the need to fit in becomes paramount, Freddy gravitated towards what he considered the "cool" crowd at school, who were already experimenting with drugs.

If only one could change the way one's children see others. Obviously one can't. As parents, so often you have to sit by, watch and pray that they'll somehow get through it and sort themselves out. Freddy didn't, and little by little he began to change. The high-spirited, sometimes difficult behaviour deteriorated into outright aggression - often violent. His schoolwork began to suffer noticeably, and home life became increasingly difficult. Annie and I found ourselves treading on eggshells around him - anything to prevent yet another outburst.

One afternoon the school rang us to say that Freddy had been suspended for two weeks for being found in possession of poppers (amyl nitrate). We were horrified. Freddy fiercely denied it, insisting that the poppers had been planted by someone else and that he was a scapegoat. (In fact, he always denied it, even years later, so I'm inclined to believe him now.) Nonetheless, he was certainly taking drugs on a regular basis.

Returning to school, he was almost immediately suspended again, this time for bullying. This we scarcely believed. Bullying was such un-Freddy-like behaviour. But there was no question it was true.

Desperately worried, we consulted several therapists, both with and without Freddy. He was now 14, taller - and stronger - than Annie. She actually confessed to being physically frightened of him. Freddy simply wasn't Freddy any more. It was terrifying to watch his decline and we both felt utterly powerless to stop it.

In the midst of this, Annie and I separated, which only added fuel to the fire. However, despite our marital difficulties, we were completely at one where the children were concerned. Freddy came to live with me nearby and Annie was able to devote some time to our daughter.

The school was reticent about taking Freddy back yet again. He was becoming still more aggressive and stole money from me to buy, first alcohol, then drugs on the internet. Being bombarded day after day with the deceit and manipulative logic of an active addict - and by this stage Freddy had unquestionably slipped into addiction - it's truly terrifying how quickly and easily one's mind becomes infected. His powers of persuasion were staggering: "These drugs aren't addictive, Dad," he'd say. "They're only Benzos. All rock stars take them; it's normal." One morning, when I'd intercepted yet another envelope stuffed with various pills of differing shapes and sizes, disguised as a CD case, I actually found myself questioning why he shouldn't have a few pills? After all, if they helped keep him calm, what was the harm?

Thank God I realised how insane that was; I knew we had to do something. After further soul-searching, we decided, very, very reluctantly, that our only choice was to send Freddy to a Wilderness School in the US - better known as Brat Camp. It was a hideous decision to make and the sense of betrayal I felt as I took him - and left him - was almost unbearable.

For two and a half months, life was relatively calm. We were able to focus on our daughter and undo some of the emotional damage which Freddy had undoubtedly inflicted on his sister.

The Freddy who returned home was unrecognisable. He was fit, tanned and healthy. He was polite and co-operative. Above all, there were no lingering traces of the dreadful anger and aggression. We gave a tentative sigh of relief.

The school refused to take him back. It was too soon, they said. We tried various other options, but in the end we agreed to home educate him through his GCSEs. We had made good progress with our daughter and we didn't want to lose momentum, so Freddy came to live with me again. I couldn't teach him myself - though I did try - and had to bring in tutors for him. The next two or three months were among the happiest I ever spent with Freddy. True, the Doherty hat came out again, as did the iPod, but I didn't mind as much. He was such a delight to be with. He got back to his songwriting and guitar playing and I could hear in his songs the beginnings of a "voice" which was uniquely his own.

Beginning to trust him again, we agreed to start allowing him to take the bus to Norwich to visit friends at weekends and on days when he had no tutors - provided he'd done his homework.

But after a while we both noticed he'd started losing weight. Over the next month or two he got thinner and thinner. Suddenly we weren't communicating any more. He began sitting in his room for hours on end, either strumming his guitar or listening to his iPod.

That summer, he passed his GCSEs, but shortly thereafter I discovered he'd been taking methcathinone (MCat) regularly for months. He was so painfully thin by now that we were advised by our GP to call in social services. They took one look at him and transferred him to a rehab clinic the same day. It was ghastly. How could it have come to this? I still don't know the answer.

Nearly three months later, Freddy came back home. His old school agreed to take him back on condition that he was prepared to undergo regular drug tests. He agreed, but four weeks into term he tested positive for opiates, and this time he was expelled.

We couldn't cope any more.

Freddy said he wanted to study music and songwriting at a college in London, so we let him. In fact, we welcomed it. At 17 he was old enough and we were so tired and exhausted from living a life where hope and despair traded places almost daily.

He found a room in west London and we agreed to pay his rent and gave him enough to live on. After three months he quit college, saying he wanted to start performing his own songs in clubs and bars to gain experience. Which was brave. Annie and I went to some of them. As a musician and writer myself, I could see he had real talent.

As ever, he was obsessed with Pete Doherty. He had been to one of Doherty's concerts, and even met him.

In June of last year, Freddy came home for the weekend. I took one look at him and said, "You've been taking something, haven't you." He replied, "I'm addicted to smoking heroin. I can't stop and I need help."

He'd never asked for help before. As a recovering alcoholic myself (I've been sober many, many years), I've learned that until an addict admits complete defeat, there's little that can be done. Now Freddy the adult was finally asking. I knew of a clinic in South Africa which reportedly had a high recovery rate, so we sent him there. Both Annie and I visited him.

When he returned, he was again fit and healthy. He'd written new songs and recorded some of them while he was abroad.

Back in London, he moved into a half-way house, a staging post for addicts in early recovery. Two months later he moved to a flat in south London. He was concentrating on his songwriting and playing gigs. He seemed much happier. He was regularly attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings and making friends. When he came home we saw a new maturity there, a gentleness and an amazing wit. It seemed as though he was becoming the Freddy he always wanted to be - content within himself. Over these past two years we had become closer than ever before and I think Annie had too. He and I had music in common and I spent many happy days and weeks recording his songs with him. He was the Freddy of old; so bright, so funny, yet with a wisdom beyond his years. I shall always treasure those moments.

His obsession with Doherty continued, but he'd broadened his horizons. He loved being part of what he saw as the glamorous music scene. Within the last few months, I do know he went to one large-scale Doherty concert as well as a smaller, more intimate one, where he again met his idol.

Three weeks before he died, Freddy came home and admitted that he'd relapsed and used heroin again. I was horrified that this time he'd been injecting it. His arm looked like a pin cushion and my heart ached for him. He stayed in bed for two days, detoxing, then he went to London for an appointment with his counsellor and I asked him to come back immediately afterwards. He agreed.

Ringing me that evening, however, he said he really wanted recovery now but that London was the best place because he was close to his NA meetings. I spoke to him once on each of the following three days.

Then we heard nothing for 48 hours

The fee for this article has been given to RAPt, the drug treatment charity.

Oscar · « **Reply #5 on:** August 31, 2011, 06:19:42 AM »

More information. It seems that the parents realized their mistake in the end and tried other more specialized treatment options. However depression and anxiety are two known sideeffects from most rehab programs:

Mother’s drug warning after inquest into Norfolk 18-year-old’s death

By John Owens
London Evening News 24
August 31, 2011

Quote

Freddy McConnel, who grew up in Billingford, was found dead at his London flat in May after his parents alerted a family friend and police when he failed to answer phone calls, Westminster Coroner’s Court heard.

The former Gresham’s School pupil appeared on Junior Mastermind aged 11 and had a promising future as a musician but had struggled with drugs in the years running up to his death.

And it was after the inquest that his mother, Country Life cartoonist Annie Tempest, warned of the dangers of “legal highs”, which she claimed her son had started using when he was aged just seven.

Ms Tempest said: “Do not for a minute think that legal highs are safe. Freddy’s diaries state clearly that he knew his downward spiral started with what was then a ‘legal high’, mephedrone. It was the gateway to his ultimate death.”

The inquest heard that Mr McConnel, who had become close friends with Peaches Geldof and “idolised” controversial rock star Pete Doherty, had an IQ of 144 and was a member of Mensa.

Earlier this year, his father, composer James McConnel, told the EDP of a son who had great musical talent, and had written “very, very accomplished” songs before performing his own music in venues across London at the age of 16.

However, Mr McConnel, who lives in the Holt area, said that the teenager changed as he started to experiment with drugs at high school, where he was suspended twice.

And it was just a few years later he was taking up to 30 grammes of mephedrone – also known as meow meow and a legal high until last year – and went on to inject up to a gramme of heroin every day, the inquest heard.

Coroner’s officer Deborah Plant told the inquest: “Tragically, Freddy had his demons and what had begun as experimentation with drugs gradually morphed into the full-on disease of addiction which, although he fought it, gradually defeated him.”

He had spent three months in the Priory rehab clinic in Essex last year and further time in a specialist clinic in South Africa, she added.

Although he had been suffering from depression and anxiety on his return, he was “looking forward to recovering from his addiction”, psychiatrist Mike McPhillips said in a report read at the inquest.

PC Gavin Thomas said he had to force entry to Freddy’s flat in Winfield House, Vicarage Lane, Battersea, at about 10pm on May 28, after he and other officers got no response.

“It was deemed that we would go in through the sash window,” he said, adding that the “deceased was there on the bed, lying face down”.

Drug paraphernalia, including syringes and a spoon, were close by, he added.

A post-mortem examination found toxic levels of morphine in his bloodstream.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox recorded a verdict of death by non-dependent drug abuse.

“This level is in the potentially fatal range,” she said.

“I am satisfied that it has caused his death, but I am also satisfied that he did not intend to take his own life.”

His father has previously criticised Doherty from glamorising drug use and said that he plans to continue editing and re-mixing his son’s songs, including the 20 they made together.

He and Ms Tempest, who separated in 2006, are also looking at compiling his writing, which took the form of songs, poetry and diaries, into a book.

In a joint statement following the hearing, they said: “Freddy’s death was, of course, a tragic waste of a young life.

“But as his parents we can only hope that the moderate publicity it has received may help to bring attention to bear, not only on the dangers of drugs but on those who publicise and glorify their use.”

Ursus · « **Reply #6 on:** August 31, 2011, 04:05:17 PM »

Quote from: "Oscar"

More news - a "wilderness school":

Losing Freddy: a father speaks out about his son's heroin death, London Evening Standard, June 16, 2011

< snip snip >

Yep. That's the article I was talking about. Too tired last night to post it...

Here's the pic from that article:

Freddy McConnel: Died from a heroin overdose

© 2011 ES London Limited

Ursus · « **Reply #7 on:** August 31, 2011, 04:16:07 PM »

Comments left for the above article, "Losing Freddy: a father speaks out about his son's heroin death" (by James McConnel, 16 Jun 2011, London Evening Standard):

- mike, london, 16/06/2011 20:38

- mike, london, 16/06/2011 21:06

- Colin, London, 17/06/2011 13:25

- BB Cooper, London, 17/06/2011 16:51

Dear James and Annie, you are brave to share your experience with others and I found the article very moving. James, Freddy's musical gift surely comes from you as I know you not only as a writer but as a fine composer. My thoughts are with you.- David, Isle of Wight, 17/06/2011 20:23

- Peter "the greeter", London England, 17/06/2011 20:33

I have a musical son too, there but fot the grace of God go we. He came to an AA meeting recently and I think he was impressed with the sobriety. You have no idea how this article has affected me and I have sent the link to my son and asked him to broadcast it around his school. I am sharing this so that other parents can do the same. My love and prayers go out to James and Annie - love Peter.- Lia, London, 18/06/2011 12:57

So your son was a junkie since the age of thirteen and you are blaming Peter Doherty for this? You must be joking. This is just a pathetic excuse to run away from your own responsibilities as a father, and for the failure to communicate with him. When your son was out of control you should have looked closer to home. Kids have been idolising drug addict musicians since the fifties and the overwhelming majority of them has not taken up on hard drugs (or on any drug, for that matter). It is understandable that you are trying to find a scapegoat for this tragedy, but as a father, you should not forget that Doherty is going trough the same struggle that your boy endured.- DAvid, London, 18/06/2011 17:22

- Alex, London, 03/07/2011 02:36

- Emeline, London, England, 11/08/2011 16:21

Dear Mr McConnel and Annie, i read Freddy's story on the newspapers on the day it was released, and took away the pages where the story was and stuck it on my bedroom's wall. Since then, i pray daily for the drug addicted and think of ways to help them. I'm so sorry for your loss and pray that God comfort you and guide you in all you do.

© 2011 ES London Limited

Ursus · « **Reply #8 on:** August 31, 2011, 05:29:58 PM »

Quote from: "Oscar"

More information. It seems that the parents realized their mistake in the end and tried other more specialized treatment options. However depression and anxiety are two known sideeffects from most rehab programs:

Mother’s drug warning after inquest into Norfolk 18-year-old's death

By John Owens
London Evening News 24
August 31, 2011

< snip snip >

Fwiw, I believe this publication is the Norwich Evening News, in case this might make a difference at some point...

Also, reporter contact info, in case of need or interest: [email protected]

And, here's the pic from that article:

Freddy McConnel, the Norfolk teenager who died after a drugs overdose.

© 2011 Archant Regional Ltd.[/list]

Ursus · « **Reply #9 on:** August 31, 2011, 05:46:27 PM »

Comments left for the above article, "Mother's drug warning after inquest into Norfolk 18-year-old's death" (by John Owens; August 31, 2011; Norwich Evening News):

roger8947 · Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The lad was using legal highs at 7?? What the hell were the parents doing about it?jh · Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Very sad but I agree, how can a 7 year old have access to anything like that? Parents have complete control until children are much older and become more independent surely!jh · Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Very sad but I agree, how can a 7 year old have access to anything like that? Parents have complete control until children are much older and become more independent surely!

© 2011 Archant Regional Ltd.

Ursus · « **Reply #10 on:** September 02, 2011, 06:41:40 PM »

There were quite a few comments for the first article, originally titled "Mother of teenage genius obsessed with Pete Doherty who died of heroin overdose blames 'public glorification' of drugs" in the OP, and later updated (with more than a few changes) as "Glorification of drugs left our talented son Freddy dead: 18-year-old obsessed with Pete Doherty died of heroin overdose" (by Nick McDermott, 30th August 2011, Daily Mail). Here are #s 1-20:

- Dismayed, The North West , 30/8/2011 18:03

What a waste of young and promising life thanks to filth that is heroin.- KEITH BEVERLEY, Gillingham Dorset, 30/8/2011 18:15

I have said for years once anyone in the public domain is proved to be a drug addict that should be the end of their career. If they have become rich and famous they can go to clinic the average young person cannot afford that luxury and ends up as a thief , a drop out or dead. The argument will be will loose wonderful artist sad but we will also lose a lot of young people which is the most important.- a wally, lost, 30/8/2011 18:17

poor lad rip- Kirsty, Scotland, 30/8/2011 18:29

A boy dies of a heroin overdose and its all Pete Dohertys fault, did he personally force him to smoke heroin? No. You CANNOT blame this on him. If you actually knew anything about Pete Doherty, you would know that he was also a very intelligent teenager, gaining top grades and winning a lot of competitions. You would also know that he discourages young people from following in his footsteps, and that his fans hate when he takes them, and fully support him being clean. I have been a fan of his since the age of 11, and have never felt that he looked cool when on drugs or that i wanted to emulate his behaviour, nor does any other fan of his ive spoke to. a 'love of words and music' Freddy had, this is clearly why he was a fan of Doherty's. When will parents and journalists realise, that young people who enjoy the music of people such as Peter doherty or Amy winehouse don't want to end up like them! There are many factors that contribute to his death, this accusation is disgraceful.- john, leicester, 30/8/2011 18:34

Bit unfair really,we are all exposed to what she calls the glorification but we arnt all drug addicts. Many have better reason to want to escape the realities of this world but end up instead as decent members of society. Moral gumption? I dont think you can blame the parents,or schools or society,the option of taking drugs were given to him the same as many others who declined.- Clarice, Hanover, MA, USA, 30/8/2011 18:36

Addiction is no respecter of I.Q. In other words, it makes little difference if he was a Mensa or an Average Joe. Just another one of many poor souls. Rest in Peace.- jb, costa del sol, 30/8/2011 18:45

blame the courts, how many times did they let of that little creature doherty- Gina, Yorks, 30/8/2011 18:49

It must be horrid to lose a child due to drugs and when so young too - tragic. However it seems this boys problems were due to his mental health and general insecurities. To start taking drugs at such a very young age is a sign of major major problems. Was this due to being so very bright? High expectations that he felt unable to meet? Was it due to being seperated from his parents at a young age and sent to boarding school? Who knows but one thing it was not due to was Doherty. Its too simplistic to blame a messed up rock star, too simplistic to blame the parents but parents have far more influence.- Michelle, Berks, 30/8/2011 18:54

I'm no fan of Pete Docherty, but he can't be held responsible for the death of this young fella. He needs to be accountable for his own actions. You can lead a horse to water and all that....- Helen, Canada, 30/8/2011 19:14

It started in the sixties. Openly, that is.- Lills, Eutopia, 30/8/2011 19:19

He obviously had some flaw in his personality as most normal teenagers do not have to go to see psychologist's or 'detox' camp in their early teens.- Rachel, Inverness, 30/8/2011 19:29

His poor family. Drugs do not discriminate. The devil's dust is a filthy thing and is anything but cool. I really do wish his family comfort.- Alan, UK, 30/8/2011 19:35

Its Docherty's fault this boy was so 'intelligent' he took heroin.- Daisy, UK, 30/8/2011 19:38

Bad parents blame pop-star shocker.- beth, t wells, 30/8/2011 19:46

Heroin was glamorized long before Pete Dohertys issues became public. Its been a drug of choice along with cocaine for many in the industry,exploding into almost acceptability in the 70s. Although I sympathsize with the family and understand some of their concerns, it sounds as if this young man had serious issues well before he became obsessed with his idol. Unfortunately,there is often said a fine line between genius and madness and the line is difficult to maintain. Expirementing with drugs as many highly intelligent people do, out of boredom, often blurs that line and indeed even crosses back and forth over it. Having a close cousin very similar in circumstances to this young man makes me reflect on how often unfortunately the family finds it easier to lay responsibility on their childs idol. My cousin had 'his' incidents in the 70s and his rock band idols were hard drug users and he always said," I dont do it because they do ,they do it for the same reasons that I do" RIP Freddy.- Don, UK, 30/8/2011 19:48

Why do idiots always blame pop-stars and not the failure of the parents? Just wondering.- Kiki, London, 30/8/2011 19:50

Sounds like he had an addictive personality and nothing they did could have helped him. Tragic.- Lady M, The Day After Yesterday, Oxford, 30/8/2011 19:59

What a terrible waste of young life ....... it just goes to show ..... the disease doesn't just affect the poorer people in society.- John, Sunny Donny, 30/8/2011 20:00

Tell you what; my IQ is about 30 points lower than this kid's, and I'm smart enough to have NEVER taken drugs. Nor blame ANYONE except ME for my own actions!!! AND where are the stories that 'Glorify' drugs? All the stories, YES, EVERY STORY shows drugs destroying lives and killing people!! I'am sick and tired of people looking to blame someone/thing else except facing the responsibility for their own actions!!!- phil, liverpool, 30/8/2011 20:09

These 'stars' who glorify the drugs lifestyle totally disgust me, why can't we have a proper crachdown on the dealers and importers of illegal drugs, I don't care if it means paying an extra bit in tax so that we can build more prisons, proper punishments are the only think that can work we've tried the luvvy duvvy liberal approach and its failed completely.

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Ursus · « **Reply #11 on:** September 02, 2011, 06:54:52 PM »

More comments on the above article, "Glorification of drugs left our talented son Freddy dead: 18-year-old obsessed with Pete Doherty died of heroin overdose" (by Nick McDermott, 30th August 2011, Daily Mail), #s 21-40:

- Doris Day, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, 30/8/2011 20:14

'It was a gateway to his ultimate death. In his diaries he has written an accurate account of how he descended, Freddy himself thinks it began aged seven.' This family gave an interview a while back and the father, James, is a recovering alcoholic, Freddy even attended some of the meetings. He must have been affected watching his father with his own demons and the parents divorcing (which is stated in the interview) So, although I certainly don't condone Pete Doherty's lifestyle and the influence he has on youngsters, surely the fault of his tragic death cannot be entirely directed to Doherty?- Pete, Glasgow, 30/8/2011 20:24

"I have said for years once anyone in the public domain is proved to be a drug addict that should be the end of their career. If they have become rich and famous they can go to clinic the average young person cannot afford that luxury and ends up as a thief , a drop out or dead. The argument will be will loose wonderful artist sad but we will also lose a lot of young people which is the most important. - KEITH BEVERLEY[/b], Gillingham Dorset, 30/8/2011 18:15" - A ludicrous proposition. That would mean no Rolling Stones, no Beatles, no Sex Pistols, no Iggy Pop, no Gram Parsons, no Grateful Dead, no Byrds, no Crosby Stills & Nash, no Eric Clapton, no New York Dolls, no MC5, no Motorhead, no Ramones, no Black Sabbath, no Pink Floyd, no Led Zeppelin, no Velvet Underground, no Elton John, no Jimi Hendrix, no Happy Mondays and no Aerosmith in record shops. Does 'biggest killer/most-addictive drug of all'; alcohol, count too? That'd be a few more gone. 'Lose' has only one 'o', by the way - thanks- John, London, 30/8/2011 20:25

Osessed with Pete Doherty? No offense but I don't think he was that clever.- mrs m, staffs, 30/8/2011 20:30

Truly sad! RIP x- Charlie Ellis-May, Brighton, East Sussex, 30/8/2011 20:36

Yes academically intelligent not emotionally.- Matei, London, 30/8/2011 20:51

Would she be happy if Doherty was dragged over broken glass for his "engendering" drugs? Middle class wastrels will chase chemical kicks whether or not they have musicians and artists "engendering" drug culture. I wonder how many of her own social circle enjoy a "toot" with their After Eight? Pity she wasn't able to bring the pillock up to know restraint.- Thomas, Sunderland, 30/8/2011 20:56

Our action's provide consequences, he was smart enough to know the risk. Stop blaming other people.- Glen, Birmingham, UK, 30/8/2011 21:26

Does anyone else remember when the term "Genius" was applied to someone who had actually achieved something?- Steph, London, 30/8/2011 21:45

What happened to this boy is tragic, but Peter Doherty is in no way to blame. Parents need to take responsibility for their children and their children's actions. If Freddie was 'experimenting with drugs at 13' where were his parents? They were meant to be the ones protecting him. These people are just pushing the blame onto celebrities such as Doherty to ease their own conscious. Peter is not responsible for anyone except himself but they were responsible for their son. You do not become a drug addict because you listen to Peter Doherty's music; it's more likely you become one because something has gone wrong in your life and you?re looking for a release. I know these people have lost their son but I would be a lot more sympathetic if they took some responsibility and stopped putting the blame on celebrities.- maureen , london, 30/8/2011 22:02

and what were his " demons" i wander ?- DJM, Staffs, 30/8/2011 22:06

I'm not sure many people are glorifying drug use, certainly not the figures we see in the (massively anti-drug) mainstream media. Drug users, even famous ones, normally look unhappy and in a state. The young man in this case clearly had a few issues, he enjoyed taking drugs and took too much and died. That's all. Drugs, alchol and cigarettes don't really kill people......people kill themselves using these things.- mrs peacock, in the billiard room with colonel mustard, 30/8/2011 22:22

sad story, yes. maybe a genius, but no common sense. obsessing about pete doherty and his drug taking antics is not clever.- millie, exeter, 30/8/2011 22:28

"Freddy began taking drugs aged seven" Sorry, parents, but there is nobody to blame for that except yourselves. And later, when he bought drugs aged 13 - who gave him the money? Take some responsibility for your own lack of parenting, instead of casting the blame on society.- Devil's Advocate, New Zealand, 30/8/2011 22:32

He can hardly have worshipped Pete Doherty at the age of seven... perhaps the parents can accept some blame themselves...or at least realise that he was the author of his own demise.- Ryan, East Anglia, 30/8/2011 22:44

So Pete Doherty is being blamed for the death of an 18 year old who began taking drugs aged 7? That was 11 years ago, the year 2000. Pete Doherty was a complete unknown until the year 2002. How the hell does a 7 year old access drugs? How does a 7 year old even manage to spend time away from responsible adults? They don't even start that young in the bleakest estates of London, Manchester, or Birmingham. Look, I think that Pete Doherty is a scumbag, but to blame him for this is completely idiotic. This kid clearly had issues from a young age, and I suspect it comes down to complete negligence by his parents, his father was an alcoholic by the way. A seven year old? A SEVEN year old? Sorry but that is frankly astonishing, rather than persecute the easiest celebrity target, we should be holding his parents to account. I would suggest that they shut up, get over themselves, and take some of the responsibility. Pete's own son is 8, by the way, I doubt he is taking drugs!!- Megan, Vancouver, Canada, 30/8/2011 23:05

While the loss of their son is terrible, it is through no one's fault but his own. Drug addiction is a terrible disease, and simply because one is a celebrity does not mean they are "glorifying" it. They are simply trapped in addiction themselves and happen to be exposed on a public platform. If I recall correctly this same family accused Peaches Geldof of being responsible a few months back. It appears they are looking to shift responsibility off of the one and only person it belongs to.- Jay, n.ireland, 30/8/2011 23:08

how ridiculous to point the finger at a gifted artist.. why not just blame the rolling stones, the beatles, the las, the only ones etc while we're at it... maybe questions should be asked where the parents were when this lad was 12 and taking drugs- Stuart, Manchester, 30/8/2011 23:30

I really liked Sid Vicious when I was as kid. Never did bother doing Heroin though.- Andrew, Durham, 30/8/2011 23:43

So they want Pete Doherty to 'take responsibility' for his drug addiction, but think someone else is to blame when their son takes drugs and dies? OK...- Homunculus9, Oldham, 30/8/2011 23:51

What where his parents doing when at aged 7 he was getting high? Legal or not there are some things that you just don't let your kid do at such a young age.

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Ursus · « **Reply #12 on:** September 02, 2011, 09:10:21 PM »

Comments left for the above article, "Glorification of drugs left our talented son Freddy dead: 18-year-old obsessed with Pete Doherty died of heroin overdose" (by Nick McDermott, 30th August 2011, Daily Mail), #s 41-60:

- Tabitha, Coventry, 30/8/2011 23:54

Firstly, and most importantly, if he was taking drugs as far back as eleven years ago, then I do not see that the blame can be put on Pete Doherty, as he was not famous then. Rather, I think that this boy was already far gone with drugs by the time that Doherty was in the public eye, and thought that he had probably found a sympathetic figure; someone who knew what drug-taking, with its accompanying highs and lows, felt like, in a way that Mummy and Daddy never could. Secondly, what drugs was he taking at the grand age of seven, and how on earth did he get hold of them? Even if it was "only" alcohol, he was still way under the legal age. If he was living at home with his parents, they surely would have been able to stop him, so I can only assume that he was away at a boarding school - well, I'm sorry to say that the love, guidance and discipline of being brought up by your parents at home is not replicated by life at a boarding school. I've known enough of such people to know.- Prodigious Talent (I Cook The Best Roti!), Nottinghamshire, England, 30/8/2011 23:59

Regardless of the media, no one force fed him. We all make our own choices in life and the consequences aren't always what we expected. R.I.P young man.- dee, hants, 31/8/2011 0:01

Errr where were his parents when he started taking drugs at 7!!!- Mick B, Essex, 31/8/2011 0:09

In what sense what he 'exceptionally bright' ? maybe IQ tests prove nothing except an ability to deal with abstract problems ?- estebe, bristol, 31/8/2011 0:18

whilst i am very sorry to hear of this young man's death, and as much as i dislike mr doherty, he chose to take the drugs himself alone and was the author of his own tragedy, he was not forced into this.- SUSIJEN, North West England, 31/8/2011 0:37

Intelligence has nothing to do with common sense. RIP Freddy.- Robin, London, 31/8/2011 0:48

- ceetee62, Wilmslow UK, 31/8/2011 1:17

Started taking drugs at 7???!!!? How could that have happened?- Dudley, London, 31/8/2011 1:33

I am sick and tired of people trying to blame their problems on famous people. Let me tell you it like it is: Pete Doherty never, never told this kid to do drugs, and never personally injected him with heroin. He is not the first artist to use drugs and certainly not the last. Everybody's beloved Romantic poets used drugs but their poems are still taught in school. Why should we destroy Doherty's career for something he is not responsible for? This kid had an addictive personality and a bucket-load of inner demons; and not to mention no parental guidance.- Sarina, Australia, 31/8/2011 4:06

"Freddy began taking drugs aged seven" How does a child at that age get his hands on drugs? Where were his parents at that time? And now its Pete Doherty's fault?- Stefanie, UK Expat in NZ, 31/8/2011 4:16

No one is to blame for this boys death except himself. My brother died from a heroin overdose 2 years ago and he was responsible for his own actions just as this boy was too. For someone to start taking drugs at aged 7 is it any surprise that it lead to this?? My daughter is nearly 7 and there is no way I would not be aware of what she is up to day and night. Where were his parents? Just goes to show that no matter how "clever" people are or what class of society they come from once that needle goes in it never comes out.- Hilary Paipeti, Corfu, Greece, 31/8/2011 7:48

Something strange here. Where was his family when he started taking drugs at SEVEN? Or was this under parental supervision? Why was his body found by a police officer, when his family were supposed to be concerned about his welfare? If they were concerned, why did they not look out for him themselves?- Jonny C, Belfast, N Ireland, 31/8/2011 7:49

No fan of Pete Doherty but for the parents to blame him for their son's death is frankly daft. How about taking responsibility for the raising of your own children and not blaming others when it goes wrong? He was 7 when he started taking drugs, I hardly think that was Doherty's fault. The finger of blame lies much closer to home.- a girl surfer, newquay, cornwall, 31/8/2011 8:10

"freddie began taking drugs aged seven"........................um where were his parents?? terrible waste of life though nobody deserves to die young and shrouded in such unpleasent circumstances.- Jenny, Kent, UK, 31/8/2011 8:35

Actually no...your son's own decision to take the drugs himself is the reason for his death.- Dan, Edinburgh, 31/8/2011 8:44

People need to take responsibility for themselves and stop blaming the influence of 'celebrities' in this country. It's pathetic.- Edsaid, Coaley, 31/8/2011 9:09

"...an IQ of 144 and was a teenage member of Mensa,..." Being able to add up quickly and put shapes in their proper places, is not like living. Prime ministers, captains of industry and most successful entrepreneurs do not have IQs that leave vapour trails. MENSA's measuring devices are barmy. Intelligent people do not 'admire' twisted people like Doherty. Not even when their parents behave like idiots. 7 years old and taking drugs! It beggars belief...- Ceri, IT WONT BE '60 DAYS'' TIL YOU SHOW IT AGAIN...... ITS EVERY TIME, 31/8/2011 10:00

why is Pete being blamed for this? i'm no fan of his, but really.... if you are going to pluck names out of the air.... "He was a close friend of Peaches Geldof and wrote in his diary about how he intended to inject heroin during one of her visits."- Paddy O'Doors, Dumfries, 31/8/2011 10:14

- Simon Burnett, Aberdeen, Scotland, 31/8/2011 10:36

Pete Doherty has been a complete mess over the years but he's not the only heroin addict in the public eye. You can't blame a "rockstar" for your own life. I idolise Brian Jones, John Lennon, Eric Cantona...but that doesn't mean I'm going to take drugs allday, beat woman and then Karate kick men in the face? - Because I know it's wrong. Everyone has their own life to live..everyone makes mistakes. But don't copy other peoples mistakes....learn from them! XXX

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Ursus · « **Reply #13 on:** September 04, 2011, 11:11:06 AM »

More comments on the above article, "Glorification of drugs left our talented son Freddy dead: 18-year-old obsessed with Pete Doherty died of heroin overdose" (by Nick McDermott, 30th August 2011, Daily Mail), #s 61-80:

- David, Middlesex, 31/8/2011 10:37

makes me laugh, there calling doherty a rock star in the story. rock star. dont make me laugh, he,s just a waste of space. he has no talent at all, but the media hype him all the time. he,s a prat.- Jim, Manchester, 31/8/2011 10:38

There is no doubt it is time to call time on the drug taking so called role models. We constantly hear of their drug fueled exploits. We are supposed to have a legal system with laws against these activities. The so called celebrities seem to be sacrosanct against and prosecution. If Cameron is serious in his attitude towards "Family Values" then he needs to crack down on these people and make it clear they are role models and as such should set the correct model for youngsters to follow and outlaw drugs in their society. This includes the socialites as well- Crobs, Devon, 31/8/2011 10:47

IQ tests are crap anyway. Having a high IQ just means you're good at taking IQ tests. You can "improve" your IQ by practicing just the tests. They don't measure intelligence at all, and obviously don't measure common sense.- Estee, Surrey, 31/8/2011 11:01

Sorry, but where were his parents when he was taking drugs at 7yrs. As a mother of a 9yr old, I can't even imagine it. Take responsibility, stop blaming others, if he started that early, he was always going to do worse.- Soren Pund, Copenhagen, Denmark, 31/8/2011 11:03

This article was updated. Before it was updated it mentioned that he had been sent to the US. Sadly parents do have to learn that the rehabs and "Brat Camps" in the US are very much behind when it comes to treatment methods. The foremost worst problem is that negative heritage and exchange of bad habbits. In fact a lot of teenagers enter these places knowing very little about most drugs and leave as experience drugusers because they force some of the more serious drugusers to explain what they find attractive about a specific drug so the youth can learn not to fall into that trap. What such a procedure does is to make the youth curious so when they leave they want to test a certain drug too. Drug treatment is an individual process for those who have not acknowledged that they have a problem. Only when people willingly enter rehab wanting to change, you may use group therapy in drug treatment. This is just so sad and it could have been avoided.- Marisol, Wilts, 31/8/2011 11:05

I'm no fan of the Peter Doherty's of this world and while they may indeed be responsible for glorifying drug use, I don't think the blame for their son's addiction and death can really be laid at his door. Some people are genetically programmed with addictive personality's and once hooked they struggle to break free and stay free. Fortunately many of us just don't take that first step down the slippery slope and live free of problems. While this young man may well have been bright and full of promise, it was a promise he chose not to fulfil. Being intelligent doesn't necessarily equate with common sense and the ability to do well in life. I'm sorry for the parents' loss of a much-loved son. I hope he's now at peace.- cathy, scotland, 31/8/2011 11:12

He may have had a high IQ but he didn't have any common sense.- Emma, Derbyshire UK, 31/8/2011 11:24

He was taking drugs at the age of 7 years old??? How was he influenced by what Pete Doherty did or does at that age!- Jan 1, Peoples republic of Cornwall, 31/8/2011 11:30

If his IQ was 144 mine must be around 600 as I have never felt the need to take drugs even cigarettes.- Emma, UK, 31/8/2011 11:31

Prohibition is what glorifies drug use. If it wasn't 'naughty' and 'alternative' it could be viewed in it's true light. It wouldn't be nearly so attractive. Spend our taxes on quality education and rehabilitation, not policing and prisons. The police and prisons have more important criminals to deal with. Take the trade out of the drug dealers hands. Knowledge is power, empower our youth.- Katy, UK, 31/8/2011 11:33

Yeah, i'm sure at the age of 7 he was highly influenced by Pete Doherty...should probably look slightly closer to home when it comes to blame!- Tentacles, Wolves, UK, 31/8/2011 11:36

Were his parents not part of his life? To blame an unconnected person sounds like bitter tears. THEY were responsible for him, not Peter............ Passing the buck??- Nick , Sheffield, 31/8/2011 11:38

Nobody likes Pete Doherty- but if this guy was as bright as they claim he was, then surely it's his own fault? If Pete Doherty had told him to jump from a cliff would he have done?!- Tentacles, Wolves, UK, 31/8/2011 11:45

RUBBISH PARENTS, blaming everyone except themselves. Drugs at SEVEN?? I had only just learnt to ride a bike!!!- Alice in Blunderland, Croydon, 31/8/2011 11:51

Hang on a sec....." Freddy began taking drugs aged seven," he died this year at age 18 meaning that he was 7 in 2000. The Libertines first song didn't come out till 2002 (& was rubbish & very badly recieved, it wasn't until a few years later that they enjoyed any "success) so why is this all Pete Docherty's fault? I'm no fan of Pete, he's a useless, talentless junkie, waster who should be locked up. But to blame him for this kids problems is taking things a bit far.- matt, letchworth, 31/8/2011 11:56

So Clever he took drugs that every moron alive knows will harm you yes A+ for that one.- straight to the point, in a cupboard under the stairs, 31/8/2011 11:57

Another sad waste of a young life- I do wish though, that the families of these people and the press would stop trying to place the blame with other people. I'm not a fan of Pete Doherty at all but to blame him for not just 1 death but several is wrong. Unless he was physically pinning them down and forcing them to take drugs then he is not at fault- THEY were the ones who chose to take substances therefore THEY are responsible for the outcome, no one else...- Ptolemy Dwyer, Lancashire, 31/8/2011 12:01

A desperate tragedy. What is even more worrying is that others see Doherty as some sort of 'hero', a musical 'icon', he isn't, what he most assuredly IS, is a plonker, who imagines he has some unique musical ability, sadly, not so.- Emma, London, 31/8/2011 12:17

Jon Sunny-Donny - Of course all drug stories reported in the media are negative. Can you imagine the uproar otherwise? As a wise man once said, "Wouldn't you like to see a positive LSD story on the news? To base your decision on information rather than scare tactics and superstition? Today, a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration ? that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There's no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we're the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather." RIP Bill Hicks- Mrs. B, Great Britain....well used to be..., 31/8/2011 12:43

While the courts carry on with their softly softly stance and society stands by and makes it easy for young schoolchildren to be lured into addiction, we will hear more of these cases. Many parents have been undermined since way back in the 70's on weak drug use laws. You can't blame all the parents when society and governments have made it so acceptable, by ignoring the problem of the young vulnerable who deserve better protection, just to appease the liberals. Parents can only do so much if society is not responsible and works against them. Courts apathy and the glamorizing of drugs by the tawdry celebs has done little to help and is deliberately at odds with good parenting. Drugs have infiltrated communities and torn families apart and is a huge factor behind behaviour and moral decline shown so vividly by the riots. It will only get worse.

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Ursus · « **Reply #14 on:** September 05, 2011, 01:05:54 PM »

More comments on the above article, "Glorification of drugs left our talented son Freddy dead: 18-year-old obsessed with Pete Doherty died of heroin overdose" (by Nick McDermott, 30th August 2011, Daily Mail), #s 81-90:

- Dan, Norwich, 31/8/2011 12:43

Smart people don't take drugs...- Sir Willoughby Toddhunter-Brown, London, 31/8/2011 13:12

"Freddy began taking drugs aged seven, the coroner?s court in Westminster heard yesterday." I feel the parents really need to look closer to home than Pete Doherty.- Andreas, Alicante, 31/8/2011 13:17

Keeping drugs illegal glorifies them and makes them cool. Just ask your kids...- minnie, east midlands, 31/8/2011 13:19

If the young man in this case was taking drugs at SEVEN YEARS OLD then surely his parents must take their share of the blame regarding his spiral into a heavy drug user, I am not a fan of Pete Doherty but it would appear that Freddy 'idolised' Doherty , and you really cannot blame Doherty in respect of this young man, I think the statement that Freddy was taking drugs at SEVEN says an awful lot !!!! A tragic loss to his parents.- Bailey, New Zealand, 31/8/2011 13:27

Drugs at age 7? How is this even possible.- Dave B (Brit ex-pat), Uxbridge, Canada, 31/8/2011 13:34

It should be illegal to be addicted to drugs with mandatory cold turkey detox sentences where addicts are incarserated in closed treatment centres for 6 months at a time. Leaving them at large on the streets creates waves of petty crime.- ste, Magonia, 31/8/2011 13:42

@ Dan, Norwich. I know scientists, lawyers, musicians, teachers etc that regularly take drugs. And they are all very intelligent and successful. I'd say that smart people don't make stupid ignorant generalisations like you've just done.- Philip, Bankrupted Britain, 31/8/2011 13:51

" Freddy began taking drugs aged seven, the coroner?s court in Westminster heard yesterday. By the time he was in his teens, he was a heavy user of mephedrone ? also known as meow meow, until last year a legal high ? and went on to use heroin daily. " Eleven years of a slow-motion train-wreck, then, that no-one cared enough about to try to avert? Who was his connection and who his supplier of funds during that time? Those are the people to blame for his early death, not apeing the lifestyle of some rancid, lame would-be musician.- Happy Emigrant, Not Ex Pat, 31/8/2011 13:52

No, your sons lack of self control and inability to say 'no' caused his death.- Agent Smith, S.Yorks, 31/8/2011 14:13

People like Doherty and Winehouse act as role models and are followed by the gullible and fashionable. This is why they should never be mentioned in the media who by colluding with this rubbish are killing young impressionable people.

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