Pubdate: Sun, 23 Apr 2006
Source: Evening Star, The (UK)
Copyright: 2006, Eastern Counties Newspapers Group Ltd
Contact:  http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/Content/news/news_home.asp
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1695

DRUG INCIDENT ON DECREASE IN SCHOOLS

DRUG-related incidents in Suffolk's schools have  dramatically
decreased over the last three years,  police figures have today revealed.

An investigation by the Evening Star has revealed  police were called
to the county's schools nine times  in 2003 to deal with complaints
about drugs compared  with just three incidents in 2005 and one so far
this  year.

Jan McDonald, Suffolk County Council's education  advisor on personal
and social development, said she  welcomed the news.

She said: "Overall I am delighted. We work closely with  the police
and school staff and they are being very  proactive on this issue as
well."

But Mrs McDonald did add a note of caution.

She said: "I do not think we have cracked the issue of  drugs on
schools. These figures are encouraging but it  is hard to assess if it
is in fact a trend."

Mrs McDonald said she thought increased confidence of  the county's
headteachers in dealing with drug related  problems may also account
for the reduction in  incidents attended by the police.

She said drug education programmes in the county's  schools plus
improvements in the curriculum had  increased awareness of the issues
related drug taking  among the county's students.

She said: "We also have 45 teachers in the county who  have now
achieved the national PSHE Certification which  focuses on both Sex
and Relationships and Drug  Education skills development. Alcohol and
tobacco  remain serious problems for young people and their  parents
across the country, Mrs McDonald said.

She added: "Parents need to be more aware of the  dangers of drinking
and the correlation between early  smoking and experimentation with
illegal drugs.  Alcohol, the cause of considerable anti social
behaviour, crime and health problems is an illegal drug  for school
age young people and all schools now have to  develop smoking free
schools for all including staff."

Detective Chief Inspector Debbie Griffiths said: "We  take the issue
of drugs extremely seriously in Suffolk  and this is especially the
case where young people are  involved.

"Fortunately we deal with relatively few incidents in  schools and we
hope to keep it this way by working  closely with them and having
regular inputs to young  people via our Police Education Partnership
Officers."
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MAP posted-by: Derek