Shock Tactics for school drug lessons

  1. rocksmokinmachine
    Shock tactics for school drug lessons

    Schools are to be encouraged to make greater use of shock tactics in anti-drugs lessons.
    And new government guidance will give head teachers firm backing to exclude any pupil caught dealing drugs on school premises - even if it is a first offence.
    Exclusion appeals panels will be urged not to overturn a head teachers' decision to expel such pupils.
    As part of the tough new approach, a video about the death of heroin addict Rachel Whitear is to be made available to all schools in England.
    The 21-year-old student died of an overdose at a flat in Exmouth in May 2000.
    Her parents, Mick and Pauline Holcroft, hit the headlines in March when they decided to release graphic pictures of Rachel's death to warn teenagers of the dangers of the drug.

    Pragmatic approach

    But drugs education experts said using such shock tactics was unlikely to make a difference.
    Vivienne Evans, head of education and prevention at the group Drugscope, expressed reservations about a "shock" approach to drugs education.
    "The government should continue what has until now been its pragmatic and constructive approach to drugs education, basing its information on fact, not on shock tactics and a 'just say no' approach."
    Catherine Goldin from the charity Turning Point said shock tactics had limited value.
    "It's been shown that young people who are deterred by such pictures are actually young people who probably wouldn't use drugs anyway," said Ms Goldin.
    However, speaking on the BBC's Breakfast program, Mr and Mrs Holcroft said they believed the video images may help.
    Mr Holcroft said: "Actually the video isn't a shocking video, it's a quite sensitive video.
    "The images shown alone are shocking but with an educational package around them - it's realism.
    "We are coming from a standpoint of realism, not just one of shock tactics.
    "Children do come across drug dealers and drug users - they probably know more about drugs than we do and from an early age.
    "So let's educate them and equip them with the knowledge so they can make informed decisions."

    Teachers' views

    Mr and Mrs Holcroft met the minister responsible for young people and learning, Ivan Lewis at the Department for Education on Tuesday, ahead of a summit on how schools can tackle drugs and alcohol misuse.
    The afternoon seminar will seek the views of head teachers and drug agencies.
    Government policy says all secondary schools and 80% of primary schools must have a drugs education policy in place by 2003.
    The Department for Education also wants schools to put more emphasis on the moral issues surrounding drug taking.
    Mr Lewis said it had to send a "clear and strong" message to young people about the dangers of drugs.
    "We reject the message of the 80s, which was 'just say no', but we also reject any notion of a value-free approach to drugs education," he said.
    "What we have to face up to is that far too many young people are emerging from the education system and drug and alcohol education simply hasn't worked."

    Lessons inspections

    The department is believed to be in contact with the Teacher Training Agency to ensure prospective teachers are given the necessary preparation to deliver the anti-drugs message effectively.
    And it wants to see the school standards watchdog, Ofsted, inspecting drugs education lessons.
    General secretary of the Secondary Heads Association John Dunford welcomed the tougher stance over drugs dealers in schools.
    There had been too many cases where a head teacher's decision to expel drugs sellers had been undermined by appeals panels, Mr Dunford said.
    "Head teachers need to have the sanctions available to make schools drugs-free zones," he said.
    "The only sensible policy towards drugs selling is zero-tolerance.
    "Parents have a right to expect that their child will not be exposed to drugs or drugs sellers during school hours," he said.
    But the Shadow Education Secretary, Damian Green, said the government had clearly not thought the matter through and accused ministers of operating a "media-driven stunt".


  1. Alicia
    1st will not make any differece.

    2nd there was an inquest as to wheather Rachel's death was to an accidental overdose or foul play so theres more to that meets the eye.

    Also what kind of parents are they, Is this how they want there beloved daughter to be remembered must make it difficult for them too look at the other photos where she smiles with out a torniquet tied around her arms.. by a picture of her slumped down dead. Yeah cause its really gonna make a difference thou. All the kiddies will see that will happen to them the minute they go near it.

    In reality a real education on the dangers would go far more further then Dont do it, its shocking and will and can kill and turn u into a social shit smear of society. Its best to explain why these things are dangerous in the first place rather then say dot..
  2. UndeadPaperclip
    I'd say that's because drug and alcohol education has become completely nonexistent in schools. DARE might work on 3rd graders, but there comes a point when students realize that it's all propaganda and rhetoric, end up taking nothing teachers say worth a grain of salt, then enter the drug scene completely ignorant to the facts. It's really a shame, who knows how many kids would still be alive if they were just given correct information, but I suppose they're just casualties of the ever-so-noble war on drugs.
  3. Purest
    In Little Red Dinosaur's school they did 2 lessons on drugs in 2 years, both started the same way "Name any drugs you know" and then the drugs were separated between legal and illegal. Dinosaur and his classmates were just told "They're illegal because they're dangerous and can kill you"... And that was about 4 years ago... About the same time Dinosaur started smoking green... Totally works to put kids off obviously.
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