County Lines - A Young Person's Guide is a book written to help you navigate your way through the risks posed and presented to you during your teenage years.
It could be argued that organised crime - and the networks that supply controlled drugs specifically - are targeting people from the age of 13 and upwards in a way that previous generations never had to become aware of. While children and young people have always been victimised by criminal gangs the threat of County Lines makes this danger key to a vast empire of coordinated criminal profiteering. It is brutal. More than ever, a billion pound sterling black market venture is now built upon the exploitation of children.
The question is - how many young people know about this? What do you know about this? If you or a friend are being drawn into the web of criminal exploitation, do you know what to do about it? How do you begin to protect yourself?
This book is written out of respect for the fact that young people are capable of learning how to deal with this threat. From streetwise kids who have to fend for themselves, to financially well supported, but otherwise isolated young people. This particular form of risk shows no prejudice. It is something that could afflict anyone.
Reading this book will give you the information you need to recognise County Lines when you see it. You will see it from a distance and you'll be able to avoid it. If you or a friend have been ensnared - this book will help you to take the first steps towards getting your life (or their life) back together.
If you wake up in anxiety - worried that your life is getting out of control, if you feel that you are being drawn into circles of drug abuse and dependency, if you feel threatened, coerced, bullied, stalked or harassed: this book will offer you options that you can think about, and methods that you can turn to. You might feel trapped - but there is an escape.
Written in a friendly and non-judgemental tone - free from the prejudice of victim blaming - this book will give any young person a refreshing opportunity to take stock of their own life and draw their own conclusions. The language is modern, accessible, and deliberately avoids patronising the reader by using an adult to adult approach and dialogue.
The cover of the book is deliberately bland and doesn't seek attention. You can read this book discreetly - and quite unlike reading on the internet (where we all leave foot-prints) nobody ever needs to know that you ventured into it - unless and until you make the decision to talk to someone.
County Lines - A Young Person's Guide is a book that is intended for you. It is written with the reader in mind throughout. Whether you are simply worried about this topic, or if you fear that you are already in too deep - reading this book is about the journey towards safety and peace of mind.
