Drugs awareness speaker Sabina Gray visited John Kyrle Sixth Form to offer an eye-opening talk on substance abuse, sharing her personal journey through addiction. The session aimed to provide Year 12 students with hard facts and cautionary tales to guard against the dangers of drug use.

Sabina was candid about her past, detailing her experiences with substance and alcohol misuse from a young age. She highlighted the underlying issues that often lead young people into a life of addiction. Using her own story as a powerful cautionary tale, Sabina said, “No one saw it coming, least of all me. By the age of seventeen, I was a daily crack and heroin user. My story is filled with experiences that seem almost unbelievable to me now.”

Her presentation was far from a lecture; it was a heart-to-heart conversation. She touched upon topics that she wished someone had discussed with her before she went down the path of addiction. Sabina added, “The aim of my talks is to change those perspectives, to spark debate and to help others to avoid the mistakes I made - to encourage young people to be both drug-aware and self-aware.”

The response from the Year 12 students was overwhelmingly positive. They found Sabina’s talk more impactful than presentations usually given by police or teachers, citing her genuine experience and honest advice as particularly engaging. The students listened intently, discussing the content afterwards, which suggests they took the message to heart.