A Baptist minister has spoken out against illegal drugs following the death of his younger brother after trying cocaine for the first time.
The Rev Andy Thomas, 33 is the minister of Patchway Baptist Church in Bristol. His brother, Mark Smith, 19, was found dead on Good Friday at a friend’s flat.
The family have expressed their concern about how easy it was for Mark to obtain cocaine.
Rev Thomas said, "Parents need to be careful about how easy it is for their teenagers to get caught up in this world … We are just a normal family, and Mark was just a normal teenager experimenting with things. It was just too easy. What are we as a society doing to protect our teenagers?” reports The Telegraph.
He continued, "Cannabis is one thing, but for Mark to have had access to such hard drugs that could kill him in one night, it just infuriates us."
Mark, who wanted to become a chef, took what his family believe was his first batch of cocaine the night before his death.
Rev Thomas said, "Mark had always been open with us, and had been honest about taking cannabis and the heavier form of skunk.
"But he certainly wasn't an addict, and in his own mind it was never a big deal. He told me he was only ever a recreational user, but we wonder if there was some progression."
The family are still awaiting a toxicology report to confirm the cause of death.
