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City daily runs special on drug turning part of patch into ‘hell on earth’

A regional daily ran a special report into a drug which it says is turning part of its patch into “hell on earth.”

The Manchester Evening News devoted nine pages of yesterday’s edition to an investigation into ‘spice’, which the newspaper says is “leaving a trail of human misery” in the city.

The MEN particularly focused on its use in Manchester city centre’s Piccadilly Gardens – where political and social affairs editor Jen Williams spent an afternoon witnessing the issues caused by the drug.

She described the scene as “dystopian, like a horror movie”, and called ambulances for several people under the influence of ‘spice’ during the course of her investigation.

MEN spice special

The drug itself often contains ingredients similar to those found in marijuana, albeit with a much more potent effect.

One of the substances included the synthetic cannabinoid ‘JWH-018′, which was declared unfit for human consumption in 2006.

Last year the MEN ran an exposé into the use of ‘spice’ at Salford’s Forest Bank Prison, which led to the jail introducing new body scanners.

Editor Rob Irvine told HTFP: “We have been pressing Manchester city council for some time to deal with the many social problems affecting the area around Piccadilly Gardens, which is the natural heart of the city centre but is frankly a place to avoid, by day or night.

“Things are going from bad to worse since the arrival of Spice, cheap and readily available drugs that have reduced many people to the sorry state you can see on our video report.

“We have a new chief executive of the city council, an election next month for the first elected mayor of Greater Manchester and a relatively new chief constable.

“We we will be working with them – and leaning on them – to help these poor people, many of them homeless, to get rid of the dealers and to make Piccadilly Gardens a source of pride and not shame for Mancunians.”

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  • April 11, 2017 at 10:45 am
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    Can we be certain hey hadn’t just been reading the Manchester Evening news?

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  • April 11, 2017 at 7:02 pm
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    I read every word of this. It’s a fantastic report – authoritative, well-written and packed with colour. Great to see the MEN standing up for its readers and drawing attention to an issue of national importance. If this doesn’t win awards next year there’s no justice.

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