Pubdate: Sun, 30 Jul 2006
Source: Herald On Sunday (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2006 New Zealand Herald
Contact:  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4035
Author: Teresa O'Connor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
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SCHOOLS' WAKE-UP CALL FOR HUNGOVER TEENS

Secondary school heads are demanding that 20 be  reinstated as the
drinking age after reporting that  hungover pupils are struggling to
stay awake during  lessons.

Weekend binge drinking is making the pupils, some as  young as 15,
impossible to teach because they are  exhausted by booze and drugs.

Ministry of Education figures show that in 2004, 3116  students were
either stood down or suspended for  bringing drugs and alcohol to
school - 135 were between  5 and 10 years.

"Some students just tend to go to sleep on a Monday,  and it's obvious
they have been partying all weekend,  not just Friday night but right
through to Sunday  afternoon," said Otamatea High School principal
Haydn  Hutching. "A few even smoke marijuana before school and  we
need to stamp this out."

He said he had just suspended four students for either  possessing or
smoking drugs at school after police  sniffer dogs were brought in to
check all 520 students.  Another 15 pupils who had been "in contact"
with drugs  were identified and warned.

Some schools randomly test students who have had a  previous drug
issue, but Hutching is calling for  school-wide testing.

He is one of many principals opposed to the lowering  drinking age
from 20 to 18, believing it has made  alcohol more accessible to teenagers.

But he accuses some parents of supplying their children  with alcohol
for parties and says attitudes to teen  drinking need to change.

Principal of Rodney College in Wellsford, Julie Small,  said her
school dealt with students struggling to cope  with classes on Monday
because they were recovering  from Saturday night.

"We believe this is a trend happening throughout New  Zealand," she
said.

Hamilton Boys' High School headmaster Susan Hassall  said a small
minority of boys - often 15 years or older  - overindulged in alcohol
on weekends and were not  mature enough to realise the effect this has
on their  studies and health. "The lower drinking age has been a  real
disadvantage, as it allows easier access to  alcohol when many
teenagers are just too young to deal  with it."

Secondary Principals Association of New Zealand  president Graham
Young - also the principal of Tauranga  Boys' College - believes that
while alcohol has always  been a problem, bigger problems are posed by
the  variety of substances readily available. "A few  generations ago
there was just beer, but now there's a  range of alcoholic drinks,
party pills and drugs like  marijuana or worse that they can access."
He said while  these problems were not unique to New Zealand, the 
binge aspect of alcohol consumption did seem peculiar  to Kiwi
culture. "But I do think the problem has been  exacerbated by a low
drinking age."

Mike MacAvoy, chief executive of the Alcohol Advisory  Council, said:
"It is time for parents and the  community to put their hands up and
take some  responsibility for their young people. Young people  can't
legally buy alcohol; they have to rely on adults  to supply them."

He does not believe raising the drinking age to 20  again will solve
this problem.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin