I refer to your article, Cracked: Police move in on suspected drugs den (Oxford Mail, May 16).

I was concerned and upset by the way it was reported, with large colour pictures of the arrest of a drug user and the squalid conditions in the flat described.

The Oxford Mail has a duty and obligation to report such events as crime, antisocial behaviour and drug abuse as they are areas of public concern.

However, let's not forget that drug users, far from being stereotypical 'fiends' or 'monsters', are human beings who deserve a basic level of respect. Many of us worry about our children developing problems with drugs.

If your teenage son or daughter had such problems, would you like them to be splashed on the front of the newspaper and cast as some kind of sub-human creature?

The intrusive and lurid report did nothing but demonise these people who have severe problems with their lives. They deserve help and support to overcome their problems, not more stigma that no doubt reinforces their detachment from mainstream society.

While people who commit crimes must face the consequences of their actions, we have a legal system to deal with it.

The Press has a duty to report crimes, but in the case of these people who are slowly committing suicide, I find reports such as 'Cracked' to be very offensive, revelling in other people's misery.

'Crack houses' are often set up by dealers to make money and abuse vulnerable people, many with severe mental health issues.

Were the pictures really showing people who were the worst type of criminals? Or did the filth, squalor and pitiful state of the flat portray people who are victims?

Thankfully, attitudes towards drugs and helping people overcome their problems are slowly changing for the better. The police have moved leaps and bounds in the last five years and now compulsory treatment is given if any offender tests positive for drugs in the cells.

Let's not forget, though, that the 'evil' of drugs can affect us all and for many families, it becomes all too close to home.

As a society, we need to help, not stigmatise.

I appreciate that many people will disagree with my stance, but I hope that this is food for thought. As someone who works with people to help them overcome such horrendous problems, it is an issue very close to my heart.

Steve Thomas Divinity Road, Oxford