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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is a sign of drug use? (again)

27 replies

NotMyPenguin · 14/04/2017 19:13

We sometimes get people sitting on the stairwell outside our flat. Last year there were signs that they were doing hard drugs -- but I had to ask on here to figure it out! Then it settled down and everything had been fine until a few weeks ago.

This time I've been seeing something different and I'm wondering whether to bother the police about it or not, as I don't really know for sure what it is.

I just keep seeing little empty plastic wraps... quite small, like they've been used to wrap up something round and about a teaspoon in size, if that makes sense. I've just seen another one after last night. I'll attach a photo in the comments.

Is this a sign of drug use? If so does anyone know what it might be?

OP posts:
IAmTheWorwax · 14/04/2017 19:14

Cocaine maybe?

Original poster
NotMyPenguin · 14/04/2017 19:14

Here's a photo! Help, oh hive mind :-)

To think this is a sign of drug use? (again)
OP posts:
RJnomore1 · 14/04/2017 19:16

Google wrAp of heroin images and see if they look similar?

RJnomore1 · 14/04/2017 19:17

I would more expect cocaine to be in a little zippy bag from what I've seen but it could be

FanaticalFox · 14/04/2017 19:19

Yeah definitely drug use. Try and nip it in the bud. If you see them make out you're their friend, tell them the council and police have put up a hidden camera and they've been doing patrols so they're gonna get caught. Easy way of getting them to move on.

hibbledobble · 14/04/2017 19:21

Yes definitely drug use.

Is it council flats? Let them know in the first instance.

statetrooperstacey · 14/04/2017 19:21

Can u put a 2p or something next to it for size comparison ? What does it smell of? Is there any residue inside it and does it look like the edges could have been melted?

StorminaBcup · 14/04/2017 19:22

Are they similar sizes to this photo? I'd agree it's drug use, possibly crack or something other that's smokeable given the size of the wrapper.

To think this is a sign of drug use? (again)
Original poster
NotMyPenguin · 14/04/2017 19:27

Thanks so much everyone. We rent privately in a council block, so I do always tell the estate management if there are people hanging around (and have done now) -- even if it's just kids drinking.

But if I see actual evidence of it being hard drugs then I will tell the neighbourhood police too.

No residue that I can see inside, and it's about the size of a 2p piece (or maybe a 10p piece when it was wrapped up, I guess).

So, it does seem as if it's definitely hard drugs of some sort :-/

OP posts:
Original poster
NotMyPenguin · 14/04/2017 19:28

Yes, the edges could have melted. What would that mean?

I did see somebody the other day with what looked like lots of little white things next to him on the stairs. In retrospect I wonder if it was a dealer with lots of these wraps. Yuck.

OP posts:
PensPencilsandRulers · 14/04/2017 19:31

That picture also looks like those 'snapper' things (can't think of the exact name). You can get them from newsagents, kids buy them, they make a bang as they hit the ground. The packaging left behind after they've snapped looks exactly like that so it could be something more innocent than drugs. Hang on I'll google and see if I can find exactly what they're called and get some more info.

PensPencilsandRulers · 14/04/2017 19:34

They're called fun snaps. You throw them or stand on them and they make a bang. Hopefully a pic should be attached.

To think this is a sign of drug use? (again)
GotToGetMyFingerOut · 14/04/2017 19:38

N.a. that's not the little snappers they are more paper.

Looks plastic, it's either had coke in or heroin or crack but tbh I'd not think someone taking coke would sit in a stairwell so id say one of the latter.

statetrooperstacey · 14/04/2017 19:41

The snap toy things are paper tho so probably not that.
People melt the edges of plastic to create a seal so they can make a wrap (drugs) however your pic looke like it has a proper seam as in a factory machine made thing in which case prob not drugs. My guess is polish sweets? It looks clean.

LucyFuckingPevensie · 14/04/2017 19:50

Come comes in wraps usually, in flyer or magazine type glossy paper.
Might be heroin, dunno anything about that.
They'd be really out of it if it was, at least I would think they would be.
Was there a funny smell too ?

LucyFuckingPevensie · 14/04/2017 19:51

What were the signs last year that they were doing hard drugs ?

exWifebeginsat40 · 14/04/2017 19:54

i'm going to say amphetamine or heroin. nobody sits in a stairwell doing coke.

Ohyesiam · 14/04/2017 20:05

You don't need to wait till you definitely know what it is to tell the police. They are the experts, so cab assess it for you.

Trifleorbust · 14/04/2017 20:39

I don't think kids crack those snappy things in stairwells, at least not with regularity. I think they're wraps for some sort of drug.

Wando1986 · 14/04/2017 20:57

Looks exactly like a used snapper. Not a wrap of crack. No residue inside?

StorminaBcup · 14/04/2017 21:03

Even though fun snaps are wrapped in cigarette paper?

ToastyFingers · 14/04/2017 21:05

The OP said it was the size of a 2p That'd be one seriously huge snapper, they're usually the size of a blueberry.

It looks like drugs to me, although cannabis also comes wrapped in little torn off bits of plastic bag like this, often from a food waste or nappy bag type thing. So it might not be hard drugs.
If someone was dealing weed though, you'd probably smell it.

Original poster
NotMyPenguin · 14/04/2017 21:47

Thanks, it's definitely not one of the 'fun snaps' -- it's made of white plastic rather than paper and it's a lot bigger.

There's no seam in the plastic and the twisted bit that was at the top (if that makes sense) looks like it's been melted shut.

There's no funny smell around the bit of plastic, but it's left over from last night so maybe there was at the time. There are also some sort of drip marks from something on the stairs that's still a bit shiny looking despite being dry. No residue inside that I could see but I didn't want to look too closely!

Last year the signs that made me suspect hard drugs (after posting on mumsnet for help!) were single drops/squirts of blood on the stairs and the walls and discarded wrappers from sterile alcohol wipes.

OP posts:
Original poster
NotMyPenguin · 14/04/2017 21:50

I think you've given me enough of an idea to be fairly sure that it's likely to be drugs, and that I'll let the police know. I just didn't want to bother them unless I had a slightly stronger sense that it was drug-related.

I'm pretty sure the wrap was too small to be cannabis, so it's probably something worse that I don't want around my home!

OP posts:
StorminaBcup · 14/04/2017 22:12

Could you suggest to the council installing a fake camera in the stairwell as a deterrent, OP? I realise it won't stop everyone one but it might be enough to deter the dealers from hanging around there.