How can we get drugs out of schools?

According to the Department of Education, around 20 students are being caught with drugs in NSW schools every week.

At one school in Western Sydney, eight students were recently found to be affected by drugs during class.

And there have been instances where students had to be taken to hospital for treatment after collapsing in class.

Some of those treated have been as young as eleven.

There have also been reports of children bringing drugs to school to sell to classmates.

Children are sometimes targeted by adult drug dealers, who give them drugs for free until they are addicted or convince them to sell drugs for a fee.

In 2013, schools handed out 730 suspensions for drug-related conduct alone.

Unsurprisingly, drugs are having a negative impact upon the performance of children who take and / or sell them, and addressing the problem is something that many see as a priority.

Which drugs are most commonly used?

Cannabis is the most common drug to be found in the possession of students, but ice, ecstasy and other drugs are not uncommon.

Amphetamines have been labelled the ‘new heroin’ – and their users are getting younger.

Many are addicted before they even hit their mid-teens.

Ice is a rising drug, the dangers of which are becoming more and more documented. It is known to make users violent and extremely addictive, and its use more than doubled between 2010 and 2013.

Misuse of pharmaceutical drugs is also increasing.

The fact that alcohol is a harmful drug, albeit a legal one, is often forgotten.

Fifty-percent of clients at Odyssey House, one of Australia’s largest rehabilitation centres, lists alcohol as the primary addiction amongst young people.

Having said that, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has reported that smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol is generally on the decline amongst teens.

Solving the problem:

Just whose responsibility is the growing drug problem in schools: drug dealers, parents, the government, schools?

Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about drugs, and to make these conversations ongoing, not just a one-off.

Research has shown that parents who openly talk to their children about the risks of drugs are less likely to become involved with them.

Unfortunately, government funding to programs that help children and teens suffering from substance abuse have been cut.

The NSW state government recently announced that they would axe the funding to a program designed help school kids who were addicted to drugs.

The Ted Noffs foundation helps students recover, but also provides vital information for dealing in situations with drugs, such as dealing with peer pressure and knowing the effects of drugs.

It has been government funded since 1997, but it was announced late last year that funding will stop.

Education is often cited as the key to deterring kids from taking drugs.

It is already a part of the NSW school curriculum in both primary and secondary schools, but many teachers feel overwhelmed.

Some believe that the voice of a teacher in the front of the classroom has little effect compared to more powerful influences outside the classroom.

Schools are often left feeling at a loss and unable to tackle the growing problem that some are calling a ‘crisis’.

And there doesn’t seem to be an easy answer to the question of how to get drugs out of our schools completely.