Pubdate: Wed, 22 May 2002
Source: Daily Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: 2002 Telegraph Group Limited
Contact:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/114
Author: Liz Lightfoot

VIDEO OF HEROIN ADDICT'S BODY ATTACKED AS 'GIMMICK'

The video of a young heroin addict's body, which forms the centrepiece of 
the Government's latest drugs education initiative, was dismissed as a 
gimmick by charities and youth workers yesterday.

Though the film being made available to secondary schools was bound to 
shock pupils, there was no evidence that it would deter them from using 
drugs, they said.

"Those who don't take drugs and don't know people who take them will find 
it disgusting in the same way as non-smokers view the sight of diseased 
lungs with horror," said Kathryn Goldin from Turning Point.

"Those who are involved in drugs or know people who are, however, tend to 
think that their drug use will never reach that point and it won't happen 
to them," said Mrs Goldin, who works with secondary school pupils in Acton, 
west London. Research published by the Home Office last year had shown that 
shock tactics did not work, she said.

The mother and stepfather of Rachel Whitear, the 21-year-old who died of a 
drugs overdose alone in her flat, helped to make the video of their 
daughter's life and death for use by schools in Herefordshire, where they live.

Graphic police photographs of Rachel's body show she died with a hypodermic 
syringe in her hand. Her flesh was bruised and discoloured from the effects 
of the drug.

Michael and Pauline Holcroft, from Withington, said the film of Rachel, who 
had dropped out of Bath University after becoming addicted, had been shown 
to 16-year-olds in Hereford schools. "They completed an evaluation sheet 
and said it had affected them deeply, they wouldn't forget it and they 
would think twice if drugs were offered to them," said Mr Holcroft.

Yesterday the Government said it was making the video available to all 
secondary schools in England.

Drugscope, a leading centre of expertise on drugs, warned of the dangers of 
returning to a "just say no" approach. Research in Holland had shown that 
warnings such as the Whitear video did not work and could even stimulate 
drug experimentation.

David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, 
pointed out that successive Government ministers had already told exclusion 
appeals panels that they should not reinstate pupils expelled for drug 
dealing. The new guidance did not attempt to grapple with the difficulties 
head teachers faced over excluding pupils caught using but not supplying drugs.

"The attempt to limit permanent exclusions to 'supplying drugs' is too 
narrow. There are a number of head teachers who feel strongly that the 
'use' of drugs ought to trigger exclusion permanently, if the school 
believes this to be justified."
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart