PARENTS in Gwent are being warned about a new drugs menace to their children. The warning came as Chief Constable Keith Turner declared a war on drugs as he launched a drugs education initiative at council chambers in Ebbw Vale yesterday.

Mr Turner (pictured) said a young Valleys man was suspected to have died after mixing a drug called GHB with alcohol to form a lethal cocktail.

GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy or gamma o, is a depressant that is illegal to traffic, but legal to possess.

He said: "Last weekend a group of friends decided to take the drug GHB. "It can be lethal if mixed with alcohol. I don't know if they knew that but one of them died. "The toxicology tests are not back yet so we do not know for sure if this was the cause of death but it is a pretty safe bet to say that it had a significant impact."

He warned of the problems of widespread drug abuse in the Gwent, saying: "The damage that drug abuse does to families, schools, friends, and to the community as a whole is very difficult to measure.

"It damages the fabric of society as a whole. Nothing to my knowledge is as corrosive to society as the mis-use of drugs." He said alcohol was a major concern - its misuse contributes to 80% of assaults, 90% of criminal damage, and one out of every six emergency calls.

He added: "Would alcohol have been legalised years ago if we had known what we know about it now?"

It is hoped the new project will aid police in tackling drug abuse in the Valleys by making children aware of the dangers.

The 400-page information pack, which cost £25,000 to produce, has already been circulated to all schools in Blaenau Gwent.

Since April 2001 in the Blaenau Gwent area there have been 48 arrests for dealing drugs, 16 of which were for dealing class A drugs, and 111 arrests for simple possession Police officers are also undertaking three surveillance operations on premises in the Blaenau Gwent area. Detective Constable Bernie Collins, a drug education officer for Blaenau Gwent, believes the reason the borough has a serious drug problem is the lack of opportunities.

He said: "With the level of deprivation and lack of jobs there is in Blaenau Gwent, drug abuse is a problem that will grow and get much worse."