Sir.-I recently attended a first-ever event in Basingstoke, hosted by The Door UK, on behalf of www.sharedresponsibility.gov.co

At this experimental event, five Colombian women who have been victims of cocaine-fuelled violence were able to talk to members of our community who work with, or are, victims of cocaine use and trafficking in Basingstoke.

One clear message was that the use of cocaine in Basingstoke is growing and the age of users is getting younger.

In the next few years, most of our young people will be offered, or will use, cocaine, unwittingly funded by parents in affluent areas, thus sustaining the need to supply but at the cost of death, pain and misery to millions of Columbian people's lives.

I could not fail to be moved by the testimonies of the very courageous women who came to raise awareness about the implications that the production, trafficking and use of cocaine brings to Columbia.

I was also impressed with the five women from HM Down View Prison who told of being duped, threatened and forced into bringing cocaine into this country for our young people to use.

Due to a very short time-frame, unfortunately the meeting was not attended by as many people as was hoped for. But another event is due to be organised.

If these women can be bothered about how cocaine affects our children in our communities right now, then I ask that we take our share of the responsibility.

As cocaine affects our community, we must open our eyes to stop this and instead find positive solutions to our problem, as the Columbian government is doing now.

Don't wait until cocaine becomes a monster and is too big to control.

We must work towards ending the misery, pain and suffering the "cocaine curse" causes on both sides of our world.

Name and address withheld.