Iceni, which led a campaign to help sex workers off the streets following the serial killing of five young women in Ipswich in 2006, played a major role in the BBC show “Five Daughters.”

The program was a three-part drama starring Sarah Lancaster and Ian Hart that chronicled the lives of the murdered women and their families, and the drug addictions that drove them to prostitution.

Brian Tobin, director and co-founder of Iceni, said he had been "very moved" by the calls, emails, and pledges of money, totaling £10,000, that he has received from members of the public since the last episode aired on Wednesday.

"I came into the office and I had half a dozen donations via the website. They have kept coming," said Tobin, whose part in the program was played by Sean Harris, known for his role as Ian Curtis in “24 Hour Party People.”

"We have had a lot of people give £20, or £50, some have pledged more. We’re at £7,500 now, and with the pledges, that will go up to £10,000,” Tobin added.

A month ago, the charity, which relies on nine full-time staff, three part-time workers and 22 volunteers, lost a quarter of its £360,000 annual funding due to cutbacks and had to make two full-time staff and a part-time post redundant.

Tobin, who set up the organization in 1999 in a restroom (removing the sink to make way for a desk) said the donations will help them to treat the 300 people they see annually.
He said many donors had seen relatives or friends die through drug addiction.

"There is a consistent number of people who have been affected directly because their loved ones have been affected by drug addiction. A lot had lost people though drug abuse,” he said, adding, “It’s been very moving. One unemployed chap said he was going to donate a tenner out of his next giro. The money is fantastic and it will all help, but it also gives us a sense that we are valued. The drama picked up on how difficult and isolating drug work can be."

The murders of Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, Tania Nicol, 19, and Annette Nicholls, 29, by truck driver Steve Wright over six weeks in 2006, re-ignited the national debate over street prostitution and drug abuse.

It prompted agencies in Suffolk to tackle the problem: police arrested curb crawlers, female officers worked with women on the streets, and council drug schemes allowed addicts faster and easier access to the heroin substitute methadone.
Many of around 30 street prostitutes underwent drug treatment and the scheme was widely recognized as a success. Ipswich no longer has a red-light district and many former sex workers are now drug free, although "a handful" remain in treatment, according to Tobin.

"I am in touch with all of them," he said. "I can understand some people’s attitude towards addiction—drug abuse causes untold misery. But I’ve said to people, ‘Come and see what those trying to get off drugs are doing here.’"

When a drug addict or alcoholic decides to break their addictive habit and become sober, this decision is the first step in a long, uphill battle against their vice. Selecting an appropriate substance abuse program is critical for an addict because it can very well determine how successful that individual will be in reaching sobriety. One of the most popular forms of treatment is the twelve-step program.

The twelve-step program was originally developed in 1935 by Alcoholics Anonymous as a way to treat alcoholism. Over the years, the program has been modified to treat a variety of addictions and behavioral issues including but not limited to, drugs (Narcotics Anonymous), overeating (Overeaters Anonymous), and gambling (Debtors Anonymous). The basic premise of a twelve-step program revolves around a common belief that change must come from within on three levels: spiritual, physical, and mental. The addiction itself infects all three areas of the human body and once each element is free of the addiction, a spiritual awakening occurs, as does recovery.

Reaching this spiritual awakening often involves attending group meetings with individuals facing the same addiction. During these meetings, members are given the opportunity to speak freely and without judgment. This opens the door for addicts to collectively share the challenges they face, as well as to learn acceptance of their actions and those of the other members. New members are encouraged to develop at least one relationship with a sponsor—an experienced member of the twelve-step program who helps guide the newcomer throughout the recovery process. Sponsors share their experience, strength, and hope with the sponsee but they are not therapists and generally don’t give advice. They provide a listening ear to the sponsee and together they participate in activities designed to lead to spiritual growth.

The main road to recovery follows twelve steps or principles each member should encounter. These principles are meant to work sequentially as a process to rid an individual of their addiction and/or compulsive behavior. The first and often most difficult step is for the addict to admit that they are powerless over their addiction and that their life has become unmanageable. Other steps include recognizing that there is a greater power that can give an individual strength; examining past errors and make amends for these errors; learning how to live a new, sober life based on these new beliefs; and helping others fight their own addictions.

Accompanying the twelve steps are twelve traditions—guidelines for running like-minded support groups. Most twelve-step groups, or fellowships as they are commonly called, follow these traditions that focus on the importance of the group as a whole, the autonomy of each group, and personal anonymity.

Although twelve-step programs boast a high success rate, some critics argue against the efficacy of the treatment. Since the program endorses anonymity, it is difficult for researchers to track and study the participant’s recovery and relapse rates. Because of this, there are few reliable statistics available on how many individuals are in twelve-step programs and how effective the program actually is. Another cause for critics’ concern is the religious undertones imbedded within the treatment. Many people argue that medical treatment/therapy and religion should not be linked. Lastly, twelve-step programs only offer partial treatment for addiction and do not generally advocate outside medical treatment for its participants.

When choosing a treatment plan, it’s important to be well researched and knowledgeable. The twelve-step program is only one of many treatment options to help fight alcohol and drug addiction. Fellowships are located throughout the United States and many often hold open meetings to the public. For more information, please contact your local chapter

SMART Recovery (Self Management and Recovery Training) is a non-profit organization that helps people overcome a variety of addictive behaviors. The theories behind the development of this program are all scientifically based, and the developers claim that as scientific knowledge progresses, so will the teaching materials at the organization.

The SMART Recovery program consists of four primary components that are designed to help people overcome their various addictions:
1. To enhance and maintain your motivation to abstain from using.
2. To help you cope with your urges.
3. To help you solve problems, including the management of your thoughts, behaviors, and feelings.
4. To help you maintain a lifestyle balance.

SMART Recovery is essentially a self-help organization that focuses on helping people to change their behaviors in an effort to lead happier, healthier, more productive lives. One of the organization’s unique approaches to therapy is that they do not focus on the past.

Regardless of what a person has been through or the circumstances that may have caused that individual to start drinking, using drugs, or participating in some other type of self-destructive behavior, the SMART Recovery program focuses on the present. They believe that the things that are happening in a person’s life now are not only the most important things to focus on, but that they are the only relevant things to focus on.

The SMART Recovery program offers both face-to-face and online meetings so that people can choose the method of treatment they are the most comfortable with. There are normally about 300 face-to-face meetings each week in various parts of the world, and more than 16 online meetings. In addition, SMART Recovery also offers a message board that is open to anyone who would like to participate.

Along with regular weekly meetings, SMART Recovery offers a variety of different tools and techniques that are available for participants to use that will help them to achieve their goals of abstinence. Some of their tools include:
• Worksheets
• Brainstorming
• Role-playing or rehearsing
• Guidelines for coping with urges and emotional upsets

The basic philosophy behind SMART Recovery is that addictive behaviors can form not only from the use of various substances, but also from participating in certain activities such as gambling, over-eating, and spending money. Since addiction is believed to be more of a maladaptive behavioral problem than a disease, each person’s recovery largely depends upon his or her own determination and motivation to succeed.

The services provided at SMART Recovery are absolutely free to anyone who feels that they may have a problem. In addition to their regular weekly meetings, SMART Recovery also offers videos and tutorials on their website that are free to view at any time.