FOR the second time in a matter of days, our front page carries a story on the tragic death of a 15-year-old girl. Stacey Laight is believed to have died after taking Ecstasy on a night out with friends.

And investigations are continuing into the death of Catherine Longstaff, which is also thought to be drugs-related.

This tragic loss of these young lives will naturally have a lasting impact on the families concerned and their local communities.

But the impact will be felt by every parent, whose greatest fear in the modern world is that their children will become involved with drugs.

It is to be hoped that some good can come out of tragedies such as these. They should encourage parents to redouble efforts to try to protect children from the scourge of drugs.

And it is to be hoped that children will learn from the tragedies by resisting the temptation to try drugs. The message that drugs are not glamorous, but ruin lives and kill, can not be overstated.

But no amount of education, care and attention will prevent a minority of children from succumbing to the temptation.

That is why no effort or expense must be spared in tackling the root cause of the drugs problem.

Without the dealers, those evil men and women who prey on the innocence and naivety of young children for their own criminal rewards, we would not have endured the pain of reporting the tragic deaths of Stacey Laight and many other young people like her.

We fully endorse the endeavours of the police and other authorities to root out the dealers and ensure they can have no access to children.

The 'Rat on a Rat' campaign to be launched by Durham Agency Against Crime is worthy of support.

The drugs-related deaths of teenagers should stir people into action, and help them overcome their natural reluctance and reticence in pointing the finger at dealers.

These heartless and callous criminals who deliberately prey on vulnerable young people to perpetuate their evil trade do not deserve to be shielded from justice.