June 1983
Dundee Under Fire as 'Heroin Pusher's Dream'
A Dundee health visitor last night spoke out against the "alarming increase" in heroin addiction in Dundee are claimed the drug was being make readily available in schools."Dundee is echoing the inevitable trend of heroin abuse which has been seen in other cities around the world" she said. "A few years ago there were only a few isolated cases - now addicts have told that a conservative estimated on the number of heroin users in the city would be around 500. I think it is ridiculous that we in Dundee do not have a programme to help such addicts. In other cities in Scotland such as Glasgow there are clinics where they can receive help but here in Dundee there is nothing. This makes the city a heroin pusher's dream. It is very alarming to think that heroin is being sold to our youngsters in schools but at the moment there is very little we can do about it"
The health visitor who wished to remain anonymous, said she had regular contact with young addicts. "One young woman in the city is pregnant but is frightened to go to her doctor because she is a heroin user. This could obviously crate a great risk to her health if she goes through the pregnancy without any medical advise. Many of the young people I have spoken to want to come off the drug but there is nobody in Dundee to help them" said the health visitor.
Dr Hector Fowlie at Liff Hospital is the only doctor in Dundee who is treating addicts. We desperately need a body sit up to deal with such cases. "There should at least be some kind of informative programme in schools such as we have for alcohol and smoking. I know a lot of people in the medical profession don't know the full extent of the problem in the city and they have been surprised by the latest news"
The revelation that heroin was being sold in schools came from an addict known to health visitors. "The addiction is being passed on from 'hooked' parents to their children and this is a particular worrying aspect" she said.
In a letter to Dundee East M.P. Mr Gordon Wilson, the health visitor says, " I am very afraid for the future of our city and our children as our attitudes are naive and complacent and our resources totally inadequate"
Sunburn Victims Pour Into D.R.I
A besieged casualty department at Dundee Royal Infirmary yesterday treated 42 people suffering from sunstroke and severe sunburn. A few were so badly burned they had to be detained overnight. One experienced casualty worker declared " I have never know anything like it"
Hard pressed nurses and doctors laboured all day treating blisters on old and young alike. Most cases were a legacy of the weekend particularly Sunday when the temperatures in the city soared into the high 70's. Those who manage to sleep through the pain woke yesterday, the third day of the heatwave, and decided they required hospital treatment from the specialists.
The theory was that people went "daft" at the sight of the sun which has previously been conspicuous by its absence this summer. They took too much too quickly. The figure of 42 was in addition to seven others who attended the D.R.I on Saturday and Sunday. A Dundee doctor described cases as "people being a bit silly. People don't seem to realise that British sun can burn just as much as Spanish" he said.
"Admittedly people perhaps were not prepared for such an upturn in the weather, like we had over the weekend, but they must remember to always take the usual precautions before going out in sunshine like we had on Saturday and Sunday"
Residents in Support of Their Multis
Residents in Dundee's Derby Street multis, put up a united front last night, say they were "incensed" by recent reports claiming the buildings were unsafe, Several tenants who have lived in the Bucklemaker and Butterburn flats for around 12 years said they saw no reason to be worried by allegations that the multis night have to be evacuated in exceptionally high winds.
"We have lived in Butterburn Court almost since the day it opened and are sure the building is perfectly safe" said Mr Peter McLeish of 8M. " Iwas not in the least worried by this week's claims which indicated otherwise. I believe the trouble has been raised by people who want a move from the multis and they are grasping at straws to get a swap" he added.
Mr James Reddican, also of Butterburn Court agreed with Mr McLeish's point of view. "The scare-mongering which has been going on is ridiculous, I am quite satisfied with the councils explanations and have never really been bothered by the 'so called' threat to the building.
In Bucklemaker Court the feeling was much the same. Mr Charles Sandeman, 2E said "In all the time I have stayed here I have never heard any complaints that the buildings might be unsafe. I don't think there has been a single case of a multi blowing down in high winds in Britain so why should it happen here? The council seems to have made adequate plans to satisfy the tenants who are complaining"
This was made yesterday by district council administration leader, Ken Fagan. Work on an £829,000 contract to replace defective cladding at Bucklemaker Court is to begin during July and Mr Fagan said work on Butterburn Court would definitely start this year. He said urgent steps were being taken to negotiate a tender for work on Butterburn Court. Mr Fagan repeated assurances that emergency panel strengthening work, required to both blocks after certain defects were discovered over a year ago, had been carried out. Referring to a high winds arrangement made with the Met. Office at Dyce Mr Fagan said this had applied when defects in the panels of the Derby Street multis had come to light and had continued while strengthening work was carried out.
Children Take Steps to Save Their Home
Children at Dundee's Carolina House may take the board of directors to court in an attempt to save their home, threatened with closure at the end of the year. Local solicitor Mr Frank Doran said yesterday he had been instructed by the children to examine the possibility of commencing legal proceedings. The aim would be to prevent closure of the home which it was announced earlier this week, would shut its doors in December.
Children from the home, which houses 31 school-age children, met Mr Doran yesterday morning to discuss the situation. The youngsters issued a statement saying they were shocked when informed of the committee's decision by Mr Black, officer in charge, on returning home from school. " We are angry and hurt and fail to understand the reasons why the committee did not relay the message to themselves and give us the opportunity to question their decision" the statement read. "Because we feel this is our home for us, it has left us feeling very worried and heartbroken that we will have to be split up from each other and staff and there might not be enough places in other homes for us. It seems unfair to us that a part of our past must be taken away and the hope we had for the future and the trust we had put in Carolina House are to be shattered. We felt unhappy and angry to read the description presented in the press knowing that for some time the committee have been aware of the facilities here and have in fact thought of moving to another place. We also feel unjustly blamed for what would appear to be a lack of understanding on the committee's part"
The children said they saw Carolina House as the most important part in moving towards a more independent style of living. They felt they needed a committee who would understand and support the staff in their work. "In the years we have received a lot of support from the public of Dundee and feel at this very important time that we must ask for your support again in saving our home."
NCR Is On The Up and Up Again
As recently as 10 years ago NCR was the biggest single employer of skilled labour in Dundee with some 6500 employees spread throughout 10 factories in the city. But the demise of the mechanical cash registrar, for which "the cash" was famous, brought with it a painful contraction of the company's operations. Thousands had lost their jobs by the end of the seventies. However a switch to high technology electronics products is bringing about an industrial renaissance for NCR in Dundee. The products have been having world-wide success. In recent months about 35 personnel have been recruited to the research and development set up locally. Now the company plans to add a further 10 or so during the next few months. This will mean the company payroll in the city will total 900. Hopes are high it will continue to grow with the addition of yet more research and development jobs and also direct production jobs.
Newman for Caird Hall
Pop superstar Gary Newman will be in Dundee in September.
Gary Newman has been in the public eye recently more for his exploits as an amateur pilot than for his contribution to the music scene. But this seems likely to change when he embarks on his first British tour for some time this autumn. Gary Newman burst upon the unsuspecting public in 1970 with a single entitled " Are Friends Electric" which was followed by a chart-topping album under the pseudonym of Tubeway Army. Many people dismissed his highly-original sound and complex rhythms as a novelty and wrote Gary off as a "one-hit" wonder. He proved them wrong by repeating his success with a string of singles such as " Cars" and "I Die You Die", as well as several top selling albums.
It was them at the age of 22 and already a millionaire that he shocked the world by announcing he would play no more live concerts, having been almost destroyed by the pressure of sudden fame. For over a year no he has concentrated on his love of flying, piloting his own light aircraft around the world and making a film of his exploits. Although a skilled flyer, he has had more than his fair share of bad luck and has been forced to crash-land on several occasions. His most worrying moment came when he landed in India and was promptly accused of spying thanks to the large amount of photographic equipment he had on board. Still only 24, Gary has now adjusted to the pressures of being a top rock performer and is preparing to show the world that to paraphrase Mark Twain "rumours" of his retiral have been greatly exaggerated.