A bus driver reached the end of his tether after he helplessly observed a growing epidemic of ‘zombies’ addicted to synthetic drugs like Spice in the station in Wrexham where he worked.
Gavin Rodda described the drug addicts who come together at the bus station as a scene from The Walking Dead with people slumped over and unaware of their surroundings.
Some of the addicts still had syringes sticking out of their ankle and were passed out across town centre plant pots.
Finally when the 37-year-old noticed blood and drug paraphernalia in the toilets, he decided to expose the problem on social media in a bid to persuade authorities to take urgent action.
Most of the people in the photos were addicted to the new synthetic drugs Spice and Black Mamba.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Rodda said:
The bus station has become a no go area for a lot of the public as they are too frightened to use it.
The school, college children and elderly passengers who use the public transport are telling us that they feel increasingly intimidated by these drug addicts.
Around two years ago, Rodda and his colleagues noticed an increase in homelessness and drug use which is when the circulation of the cheap and extremely addictive synthetic drugs like Spice and Black Mamba became rife in the UK.
They were classed as a ‘legal high’ at the time. They have since been banned but are widely available for as little as £5 per gram.
This is much cheaper than heroin, crack cocaine, and even cigarettes but it gives such an extreme high that the users fall into this ‘zombie’ state that Gavin describes.
Rodda said:
They are trying to stand up straight but eventually end up falling down or falling onto whatever obstacle is next to them.
They are clearly not in control of their body while under the influence of this drug and they are within a few steps of moving buses in a busy bus station which sees around 11,000 people pass through it each day.
It is clear that this is a national problem with an increasing number of areas sharing stories and pictures of what is going on local to them,” he says. “The scenes are very similar.
This needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency and hopefully the spotlight will allow a change to ensure that addicts are getting the best possible help that they can..
The photos have gone viral and have opened the public and authority’s eyes to how severe the Spice epidemic is.
Earlier this week, similar footage was filmed in Manchester where there has been a surge in hospital admissions due to the drug.
One user said ‘Heroin users are saying it’s the worst stuff going. It’s dangerous.’
