DATE: Sunday 5th August 2001 (4 weeks later)

QUESTION: I think it has been nearly a month since we last talked. Are you clean from drugs now?

GOR: Yes, I am clean.

QUESTION: When was the last time you took any kind of drugs?

GOR: On my 16th birthday, about 4 weeks ago.

QUESTION: Since that time have you been tempted to take drugs?

GOR: Yes a few times. Usually when my friends teased me by asking me if I wanted some drugs.

QUESTION: Are your friends still taking drugs every day?

GOR: They are doing it nearly every day.

QUESTION: What do they think about you now?

GOR: They say that I am good that I can quit.

QUESTION: Well, I am proud of you that you haven't taken drugs for 4 weeks now. How does that make you feel when I say that?

GOR: Very good. You haven't said that for a long time since before I started taking drugs.

QUESTION: I want to say now that your behaviour and attitude has changed a lot since you started taking drugs and hanging out with that group of friends. Do you know what I mean?

GOR: Yes, I get moody more easily now and I am also more lazy at school. Last week I didn't go to school twice because I woke up late. I just want to be with my friends and not study.

QUESTION: Now that you have been off drugs for a while, has that attitude started to change or will you never be like you were before.

GOR: I think I have started to change but not that much. It will take time. I still do bad things when I am with my friends.

QUESTION: You gave us a bit of a scare on Wednesday night when we got a phone call from someone saying that you had been arrested. Can you tell me briefly what happened?

GOR: During my lunch break, my friend rang me on my mobile phone. He is one of my friends that has left school already. He asked me to meet him after school in the house where we usually went to buy drugs. It is in the market. So, after school I went there with my girlfriend. Before I went inside the house I went to a noodle shop nearby that house. After eating I walked into the house. When I got in I took off my shoes and went to sit down nearby the fan. Just after I had sat down, someone knocked hard on the door. The younger brother of the house owner went to ask who was there. They didn't answer so he asked again. Then the person outside broke the door down. He then saw it was a policeman that had arrested him many times before for drugs. He asked us what are we doing. One of my friends was playing with some cards. He was playing alone but he was worried the policeman might think he was gambling as that is illegal. He then called for three more policemen to come and join him. They came and searched the house looking for drugs. They couldn't find any drugs in the house but they found some drugs in one of my friend's socks. After that they took all eight of us to the police station including my girlfriend. They asked us who has been taking drugs. All of us, apart from my girlfriend, put up our hands. I think at first they were going to arrest all of us and send us to prison or drug rehab. I was really scared. But I think I was lucky because of my girlfriend and because we were both in school uniform. My friends were wearing normal clothes. Maybe they felt sorry for us. I was lucky my girlfriend was there. Only one of my friends who had drugs in his sock couldn't go home.

QUESTION: Did you learn anything from this experience?

GOR: Yes, I won't go to places where people are buying or selling drugs any more.

QUESTION: How often did you go to that house?

GOR: Nearly every day. I went there to sit around, playing cards, talking, smoking and sometimes doing my homework.

QUESTION: Did you know that lots of people knew about that house?

GOR: I knew the neighbours knew about it, but I didn't know the police were watching the house.

QUESTION: If lots of people knew about it then the police would know for sure. Looking back on it, wasn't it a bit stupid going to a place like that every day?

GOR: Yes, very stupid.

QUESTION: Your parents came to pick you up. What did they say?

GOR: First my mum said she wouldn't come. She said she wanted me to go to the rehab. That really upset me because I had stopped drugs now for nearly 4 weeks. She finally picked me up at 9 p.m. and when we got back we had a little argument. After that we understood each other a bit better. The next morning she said to me it has already past and it is best to start the new day with a new life. She said don't worry about it or think about it any more.

QUESTION: What do I always say to you on this subject?

GOR: You say I should learn from my mistakes before moving on.

QUESTION: Are you going to do that?

GOR: Of course!!

QUESTION: What about your father?

GOR: My mum told my father not to say anything to me. For sure if he talked to me and got angry he might hurt me.

QUESTION: What about next day at school? Did the teachers know about it?

GOR: Not the next day but on Friday lunchtime I was told to go to the infirmary. They said they wanted to test my urine for drugs. So, they knew for sure. I told them they didn't need to bother testing me for drugs as they will find it for sure. One of my friends told me that it stays in your blood for several months after you stop taking drugs. So I said they will only waste their time. They didn't really say anything. All they said is that they wanted me to join this new club for students who are on drugs or who smoke. The idea is to help them stop. They also said that if I wanted to go to a drug rehab I could go there for free and when I finished I can still come back to learn. I told them that I don't need to go there as I have stopped it now for three weeks. They said OK, but they will keep me in their eye and they said I have to go to meet a teacher twice a week.

QUESTION: Will you?

GOR: I don't really want to. I will try and not go. I don't think they will do anything. They always say things like this but they never chase you up the next week. They quickly forget.