Drug Education News

New Scientist News reports on reliability problems with drug tests for cocaine:
SUSPICIONS that the internationally recognised field test for cocaine is unreliable have been confirmed by a lab investigation. Not only does the test fail to detect the drug in some samples, it can also wrongly give positive results when no cocaine is present. [more]
The [...]

Teachers’ TV have a programme on the use of role play in drug education:
The teacher uses role-play and debate to encourage the students to think about the short- and long-term consequences of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use on their physical, emotional and social wellbeing. [more]
If you want to watch it the programme is being [...]

The Scotsman reports on the numbers of young people who use heroin:
Thousands of British children under the age of 16 are using heroin, according to shocking figures published yesterday. Studies carried out in Scotland and England have calculated that between 19,000 and 35,000 children regularly take the class A drug.
A government study states that each [...]

The Norfolk Eastern Daily Press report on drug taking by young people in the Norwich area:
Children as young as 14 have sought help from Norwich drug charities after taking heroin, while a seven-year-old needed hospital treatment after overdosing. [more]
The report goes on to quote two drugs charities in the area, both of whom point out [...]

The British Journal of Psychiatry have published another paper on cannabis use and metal health in secondary school aged children.
The BBC coverage has this to say about the research which analysed the results of over 5,000 questionnaires filled in by young people between the ages of 12 and 16:

They found 17% had used the drug [...]

The School Health Education Unit have a pdf of some research they did on health behaviours of further education students last year.
Amongst the things I noticed were that:

55% seem to be saying they don’t drink alcohol on a regular basis;
68% of males and 59% of females don’t smoke; and
81% appear not to use cannabis

The Telegraph are suggesting that the Government is preparing powers to allow the age for buying cigarettes to be raised from 16 to 18. The report says:
The legal age limit for buying cigarettes and tobacco was set at 16 more than 70 years ago. In December, the Government announced that it would consult on [...]