AS AN alcoholic in recovery, I would like to respond to some comments made recently in letters included in the Opinion section of your paper. I must say that firstly I do not condone crime in any way, having been a victim of robbery and mugging myself. H

AS AN alcoholic in recovery, I would like to respond to some comments made recently in letters included in the Opinion section of your paper.I must say that firstly I do not condone crime in any way, having been a victim of robbery and mugging myself. However, I do not believe the addict/crime ratio in Weston is any worse than in any other town or city in the country, considering that most of the people in prison are there as a consequence of their addictions.It is a fact that to get well, people have more of a chance of staying clean if they relocate. Many give up their homes to do this and it is not advisable to return but to start a new life elsewhere. It is only a small minority that return and succeed.I have seen people staggering drunk and using drugs in Stroud, Blackpool, London, etc, and they don't necessarily have a glut of treatments in the vicinity. It is na*ve to think that there is a 'cure' for addiction, as due to the complex physical and psychological nature of the disease, and that is what we are dealing with here, there will probably never be a cure. If there was we would all be clamouring for it as no-one enjoys being addicted to any substance. Our addictions are always with us and we stay clean by continual support of each other. For example, I believe there is one group run by three addicts in recovery, and is part of this essential process.Lastly, Whitecross Road is not about to become a hotspot of crime because the people attending the centre are staying clean and attending therapy in the hope of staying that way. They wouldn't be allowed near the door if their behaviour was less than sociable.NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED