DEAN INWOOD knows what people think when they look at him and other former drug addicts: scum.

However Mr Inwood and other organisers of an Oxford event tomorrow are hoping to hammer home former addicts are just people trying to get their lives back on track.

Mr Inwood, 30, first started smoking cannabis at the age of 11.

By the time he was 14, he was addicted to heroin and crack, with years of prison sentences and addiction ahead of him.

But the Oxford dad-of-two, right, has now been clean for five years and is working for the Oxfordshire User Team, a charity based in East Oxford.

He said one of the hardest things for former addicts was still the stigma surrounding them.

He said: “The biggest challenge is getting back into mainstream society. It’s like the words ‘drug addict’ are tattooed on our heads. People have their own perceptions, but most will be affected by drug or alcohol addiction in their lives.”

Mr Inwood battled his addictions with the help of Oxfordshire drug services, but encountered a “stone wall” when it came to job-hunting.

He said: “My CV was blank. I was excluded from school without any exams and I had no job history.

“Job applications asked me to disclose my criminal record and I wasn’t going to lie. So I got knockback after knockback.”

He eventually started to volunteer for drug services and is now a paid support worker on the Oxfordshire User Team.

He said: “But not everyone is willing to take the risk. There is a lot of stigma out there and people are embarrassed about addiction.

“People think drug users are scum. But we’re not. We’re only human.”

Tomorrow the team has organised a Walk for Recovery in Oxford, to end national Recovery Week.

It will see hundreds of support workers, mental health teams and former users walk from the city centre to South Park.

Organisers hope the event will celebrate recovery from addiction, as well as encouraging people to access their services.

They said last year there were 13 drug-related deaths in Oxfordshire.

Glenda Daniels, of the Oxfordshire User Team, said: “Most people have to recover from their addiction in their own community. This is about getting the wider community involved to start trying to break down that stigma.”

The day will culminate with a live music stage and a variety of stalls.

There will also be drug and alcohol advice, complementary therapies and awards for service users and workers.

The walk from Simon House in Paradise Street starts at noon and the South Park event is until 5pm.