THE work of the police in taking Class A drugs and dealers off our streets is good news although many of you may see it as just part of their job.

While we welcome the action to tackle what is a growing problem, much more needs to be done and it goes further than the work of the police.

The Operation Bilbo team has hit its target of jailing Class A drug dealers for a combined total of 100 years and taking £250,000 of drugs off the streets but it could just be the tip of the iceberg.

What about the dealers and the drugs they haven’t taken off the street? The police can only rely on the information they are given in tip-offs and other investigations, but there may be other dealers lining up to take the place of those now in jail.

With the pressures of modern life increasing more people are turning to illegal substances as an escape but few are aware of the dangers of the drugs they are taking. To strengthen the work of the police in the fight against drugs, there needs to be more education at all levels.

People need to know what effect each drug will have on their body and the long-term consequences of taking those substances. Too often they are seen as short-term solutions without the consideration of how being addicted will impact on their lives and lead to further criminality.

For many it will hopefully be a new start to 2014 and alongside the work of the police in their continuing crackdown on drugs we can all do our bit to help with the problem.