‘I know in my heart and soul that this will help people’

Tamzin White, pictured with her father, James, sisters Farrah and Lola-May and late mother, Louise.

The 18-year-old was responding to Health Minister Robin Swann’s response to a query from the Journal, asking if and when he will meet Tamzin.

Tamzin’s mother, Louise, died last month at the age of 40 after a long battle with addiction.

Minister Swann said: “This heart-breaking story brings home the tragic impact that substance use has in Northern Ireland.

“I want to reiterate my sincere sympathies to Tamzin and her family. My office has recently received an invitation from Ms White which I will respond to as soon as possible.

“I believe we have to do more to prevent and address the harm that substance use causes.

“My Department recently issued a public consultation on a new substance use strategy, during which we had a range of engagement events – including with service users and their families. The consultation has now closed and the process of analysing responses will now begin. We will then develop the final strategy in conjunction with key stakeholders, including service users, and bring this forward for agreement and publication.”

Tamzin said her mother’s story is heartbreaking and mirrors that of so many other families in Derry.

“We need action and we need it right now, no more lives can be lost due to this mental health pandemic. A detox centre and better care for after the detoxification may not remove addiction altogether, but it will be a step in a good direction. It will help so many people and beyond I know in my heart and soul that this will help people.”

Tamzin said that by basing a centre in Derry, it would ‘make the journey ahead less frightening.’

“My mother was suppose to go to Newry one time and she didn’t want to go because the journey scared her even more.

“It was just added pressure my mother didn’t need to try and get help, no one should have to travel so far in order to get well.

“We are at breaking point, we really are. It’s so sad that we are getting ignored and have been getting ignored these past couple of years. Derry is a big city; it needs its own detox centre, especially when there has been so many lives lost and especially the lives that hang in the balance.”