drugnerd | consciousness inhibitor

A shocking examination of just how far crack, heroin and other drug dealing has permeated everyday life among young people on estates in Greater Manchester, creating violence and crime in its wake.

For the first time, the programme films and interviews crack and heroin dealers as they ply their trade to “punters”.

It reveals a culture of “lay-ons” or drug loans to ever-younger “punters”, moving into heavy drugs use from early teens.

It culminates with footage of kids aged from 12-16 cutting and using crack, speed and cocaine as the drugs get passed down the dealers’ chain.

The film is a personal journey by a BBC journalist – Sarah O’Connell – who, as a child, used to know some of those now involved.

She returns to her home town, Bury – traditionally, a low-crime area of Greater Manchester – after the shooting of local crack dealer to find out from those inside the trade, user and dealers alike – why and how the drugs industry is taking hold of a new generation.